According to Legend
by Link'sLily
Summary: Dealing with themes such as sanity, sexuality and morality, this epic trilogy follows a group of young adults through a terrifying journey and pins reality against the written word. Part I starts as a classic fantasy adventure, however more disturbing consequences lie ahead that no legend could predict. Mature content. (PART 2-CHPT. 53) RNR ILL RETURN THE FAVOR!
1. Chapter 1: The Late Day

**Hi guys! I've removed a lot of the author's notes because but**** I don't want people to think I'm not there. It seems that way with no acknowledgment from the author (in my opinion anyway). Like it's some how cold when the chapter just ends then goes right to the next one. I want to talk to you guys, hear feedback, and all that amazing stuff. I'm pretty good at returning the favor (you review/fav/follow ATL, I do the same for you). I adore my readers, and i want that to come across!**

**I really hope you guys enjoy this story. It's still a little rough in some areas (particularly the middle). **

** IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN PART 1 PLEASE SKIP TO CHAPTER 53, WHICH IS WHEN PART 2 STARTS. PRT 2 IS WHEN ALL THE (better/more intense) ROMANCE, DRAMA, ETC. HAPPENS, BUT TBH IT PROBABLY WONT BE AS GOOD WITHOUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE CHARACTERS/STORY BUT HEY I WONT STOP U FROM SKIPPING GO FOR IT.**

**Please check out my original work based off ATL on FictionPress. Look up my pen name and you'll find it (Link'sLily)**

* * *

><p><strong>PART I: COURAGE<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Late Day<strong>

That day ruined rain for him. For the rest of his life, rain had forever been soiled. He always considered himself the type of person who would enjoy rain. If he could. The mollifying sounds and the soothing, dull grey colors should've been appealing. But ever since that day rain to him was chaos, like a room full of screaming people he didn't know.

There were many other things that day ruined; he despised open fields, or perhaps open spaces in general (not that he was in them often), dreaded the deceiving nature of a forest, and couldn't stand running if it meant that if he slowed or stopped, catastrophe would follow. He took to horses instead.

The day had started late, around 5 o'clock, when the sun began to set behind the impending rain clouds. He could not remember what he was doing prior to this day, except for the fact that he was returning from something. What that something was haunted him every since. Not the thing itself so much as his inability to recall it. He should be able to recall every detail to the number of eyelashes on his weeping mother's eyelid. But perhaps those would be hard to count through the tears.

When the rain started was when he had been escorted outside his home instead of in. His mother took him and kneeled before him, smiling in the most unsettling way; the ends of her lips were twitching.

"Shhhh, don't look. Keep your eyes on me," she said as she took his head in her hands. It was amazing how the trembling things could restrain the boy so well. "Listen to me. This time it's important. You have to run away. It's very important that you keep running and don't look back."

He stood there at the edge of the forest, his eyes darting back and forth between his red mother and the hunched over people galloping through his village. They looked dark through the rain. They looked like apes.

"Do you remember Uncle Ben? Uncle Ben lives in the Castle Town. Remember? Remember he told you?"

The giant bats pranced around the town and held children in their claws like they were dolls.

"Look at me!"

He looked at his mother blankly, then nodded as he forced himself to remember his uncle, his loud voice and pungent smell the first thing to return to him. His uncle used to run a hand threw his hair.

"Find him. Find Uncle Ben." His mother took out a leather glove and slipped it on his right hand. "Keep this hand covered, alright? I know it's big but you'll grow into it. Don't show it to anyone until the symbol goes away."

He opened his mouth to protest the glove's size and uncomfortable fabric, but ended up just staring at it and noted the way his hand glowed beneath it.

"Run that way, okay? Don't stop until you reach the town. Look for towers. Run towards the tall towers. It'll be alright as long as you keep running and don't come back, alright?" his mother blinked for the first time in what seemed like hours and a big pool of liquid in her lower eyelid spilled over the side. It blended in with the rain quickly.

He had never seen his mother cry before. He searched for her scraped knee or her paper cut. Where was she bleeding from?

He felt the urge to go run for help, but in that moment, the only person he could think of running to was his mother herself. She began to nudge him towards the forest, a place he never liked in the dark. "You're not…I'm going by myself?"

His mother smiled slightly, wiped her tears and stood up. "I'll be right behind you. Go now. Keep your hand covered and don't look back. I love you. Don't take that glove off no matter what."

"Okay." He didn't realize that was the last thing he would say to her. Looking back on the moment, he would curse himself for being so thoughtless, and he did, almost every night.

**Please R n R! i want opinions!**

**and check out my original story on fiction press, it has the refined touch after working on ATL for 2 years**


	2. Chapter 2: Maturation

There were many things that Link did not care for. One was the young, however not all ages provoked him as much as others. He did enjoy the company of a tiny toddler with rosy cheeks and a sweet smile that bounded around with no business to interfere with his own. Anything that surpassed that age, roughly above 9, he loathed. It was hypocritical, considering he had, technically, just reached his own maturity, yet he believed he had avoided his obnoxious teen years all together and therefore removed any sense of empathy for screechy voice cracks.

On a similar note, he didn't care for immaturity and ignorance. One who didn't know about a topic should not bother speaking about it in any means. He didn't like being challenged by someone who either had no right or clearly no knowledge on the subject. Again, this was hypocritical.

He had a dry, corse sense of humor that had little room for loud voices and doltish maneuvers. Getting him to crack a smile or a weakly chuckle was a sign of pure comical genius.

He did have many things he adored in his life, but to an outsider (not that he ever met one), these things seemed to take a back seat.

On a clear day, he was caring for his horse Epona, who he enjoyed, when a palace guard came rushing up to him. The day had been rather mundane up to that point, and he felt indifferent about the turn of events that stirred it up.

He was out of place in the castle training grounds, the only young man there not covered with armor or kissing the royals' asses. He was taken out of his routine to help the soldiers with a young war horse, one they apparently couldn't control.

This ink-colored stallion was one of the largest he had ever seen, but he tamed the beast without letting those around him see any hint of hesitation.

It was so large he half expected the ground to crack each time its hoof hit the ground.

The man it had thrown across the pasture had to get his arm reset in the medical tent, a horrific procedure that Link could hear faintly as he approached the stallion.

A famous young lady was watching, among with other high-priviledged adolescents. He ignored her.

It would be surprising to someone who had recently met Link that he was so skilled with animals. It took a gentle hand and an amazing temper.

Link himself did not know why he was so good with horses, but thank god he was; he didn't have another career option. He calmed the 8 foot creature in a minute or so.

After he pulled it out of the horse's shoulder, Link handed a shard of a metal armor plate into the hand of an officer. "This piece of armor was loose and dug into the horse's shoulder. The helmet limits the horse's vision. If it can't see well, it'll stress even more."

The officer said, "Your help is appreciated," and nothing else.

And with that, his job was done.

The sound of armor and sword clanking filled the air as Link lead the horse across the ground. As far as he knew, the more experienced soldiers were off monitoring the territory borders. But he couldn't be sure. In fact, Link, and most of the people in Castle Town all together, knew little about how, why and where the castle was spending its money and efforts.

He didn't care about this as much as his workers did or as much as he believed he should. He found it hard to care about something that did not directly effect him.

When his eyes wandered, he thought he caught the princess staring at him, but she diverted her attention away too quickly for him to tell. He decided she probably was not.

When he turned his attention back to his path, he nearly ran into the young royal maiden who stepped in front of him. The horse stopped abruptly behind him, threatening the temper he had worked so hard to control.

"Excuse me; I don't believe we have met," she held out her hand loosely for him to kiss. "My name is Lady Ellington the Third, and you are?"

To a stranger (not that he often spoke to them), his communication skills were erratic. He might be bitter one day, charming the next, and aloof the third. He often chose the option where he spoke the least amount possible.

Sometimes, especially to woman and gentler souls, he was polite, even, if one were to exaggerate, considerate.

However, there was often such a feeling of resistance and insincerity to his routimentary manners that it was, to those intelligent enough to pick up on his fake tone, taken as scorn.

He bowed slightly as he took Ellington's hand and kissed it, a traditional gesture in the presence of a royal. He hated doing it, but hated the social consequences that followed not doing it more. "Honored, Lady Ellington. I'm Link, the first." He was also, at times, passive aggressive.

Her nose twitched as if it was trying to bounce an unwanted object off the tip. "Link? That's an odd name."

"So is Lady Ellington the Third."

She broke out into an adoring grin. He smiled weakly back. "Well, Link, that was impressive back there. If you didn't control this horse, someone could have been hurt-" _Someone was hurt._ "-if you didn't handle them so well."

"Thank you."

"Though," she sighed. "You'd be an even better knight."

He couldn't tell if she was playfully commenting on his physique, like her eyes suggested, or honestly recruiting him for the army. He wasn't flattered by either.

He shrugged and looked past her shoulder. "I will be there when a war calls for me, in the mean time I have other matters to tend to."

"Well, then I suggest you keep your ears open-" she caught herself halfway in a thought and fell silent. They stood there awkwardly for a moment; she remained in his path. She then took a step closer to him and he couldn't help leaning back, her pungent perfume invading his senses. "Make sure your stable has room for more war horses," she advised softly. He narrowed his eyes in response.

"Ellington?" A rich voice rang from across the grounds. Link had to dedicate a portion of Zelda's beauty to makeup. There was no way her skin could be that perfect and fair, no way her eyes could be so alluring without some form of outline, no way her lips could be that pink.

Both her natural and fabricated beauty carried a coldness to it; one could say the same about Link. The famous young woman and the standoffish young man looked very similar in certain ways. One could even describe Link as Zelda's male counterpart, although both would passionately disagree.

They both had sharp, intense features that subtly warned those approaching. Link prided himself with having these features without makeup.

Even the more superficial features, such as the shade of their gold-brown hair (given Zelda's was far more blonde), shared frivolous similarities. He was grateful, for an unknown reason, that his hair was darker and less pure, in terms of color and shades, than hers.

He was also proud of his darker skin. He would hate to have that fairness that emanated from hers. Link was, given only by a few shades, tanner than her because of his outdoor work. How depressing, someone being so pale because they rarely go outside. Or, even worse, so pale because they were drowning in makeup.

Even their ears were similar, yet different in a way that Link enjoyed; although they were both elongated and pointed (a disappearing trait), Zelda's was far more so, by at least an inch and a half. Link's tiny point and slight elongation was so subtle one would only notice once they were a few feet from him (and once they got past his messy head of choppy hair).

Though rare, the trait suited them, in both the subtle and extreme form. If their ears were to be detached and reattached on the opposite person, it would look odd. This is especially true when considering the implication of this trait. Ears such as Zelda's represent royal blood. If Link had those pointy things sticking out of his head he would look terribly out of place in his current lifestyle and, when coupled with his humble clothing, mismatched.

They were both, in these similar yet different ways, very attractive Their shared features looked beautiful on her, handsome on him.

He noticed this and found himself staring.

She refused to look back.


	3. Chapter 3: Reminders

When Link returned to his comely ranch, he couldn't help but notice the feeling of familiarity that crashed onto him like rhythmic, endless waves. He had been the owner for the year now and although exciting at first, it was becoming a routine. He decided he didn't mind this too much, since he was nearing the age where he should find a sense of routine anyway.

And although tiring at times, the responsibility was rewarding, knowing he owned something and had to ability to command those around him, especially those of his age. He wasn't completely aware of it, but he was beginning to develop a sense of arrogance, like he couldn't do better with the little he was given.

When he noticed the halls were empty, he knew immediately where his workers were, taking a break in the back room, another familiar behavior he was able to predict almost flawlessly.

When he arrived his workers gave him the same, respectful yet friendly greeting as they always did as he opened the door to them. They sat in a dimly lit room at a large table that was surrounded by supplies and documents that seemed to be there for decoration. The young men at the table were obnoxious, loud, future drunks who hollered insults at each other as acts of compassion. Although Link didn't care for drunks and loud voices, his workers had managed to be enjoyable enough that he often found their behavior humorous rather than irritating.

They always seem to silence for a split second when Link entered the room, but only for a moment, then continued their conversation when deemed safe.

"Where has our honorable employer been this fine evening?" Jack hollered in a fake, theatrical tone.

"I tamed a beast."

"Aka a horse," Richard chirped and handed Link a drink.

"It was a big horse. And may I ask what my dishonorable workers have been doing since I was gone? You all reek and not of manure."

"Hey!" Jack slurred. "It is currently 6'oclock and we are officially off work and therefore, you are not our boss. You're just an ass we drink with!"

"Fair enough. I assume you haven't been discussing anything worth while before I interrupted?"

"On the contrary, we've been discussing the war. I think that's quite a lot of substance for such an intoxicated group."

"War? Rather depressing, I should think," Link said with a head swing towards Richard.

"To us men," Jack said with a lift of a glass, "War is far from depressing," he slammed his hand down on the table. "Tales of bravery and justice!"

"Not tales of your own."

"You suggesting I couldn't be a war hero? It runs in my blood, and when the time comes I will lead my troops to victory. We shall take no prisoners."

"The only hero you'd be," Richard began. "Is that of a medical tent."

"Bah!" Jack spat. "A field for the women."

"Exactly."

"I will not stand for ridicule. My uncle is a war hero and I will follow."

"Easier said than done," Link murmured into his drink.

"Once this war starts up again," Richard said towards Jack. "You will have your chance to prove yourself, whether you like it or not."

"That won't happen," Link said with a shake of his head, disregarding the possibility of another break out like that of 10 years ago.

"Don't be too sure. When one thing goes wrong this whole land goes to shit. I will be drafted before I reach thirty."

"Why question the peace?" Link questioned with a tilt of his head. "Don't speak of a future war if it doesn't exist."

It was silent a moment.

Nicholas, a relatively new member of the ranch, cleared his throat and asked Jack, "Your uncle was a war hero?"

"I think he uses that term loosely," Richard answered quickly.

"You have something against me tonight! My uncle was a hero! He killed at least twenty of those dark bastards and that," Jack said with a pointed finger at Link. "Is easier said than done."

"Twenty dark souls?" Nicholas gawked.

"Jack's uncle is not a very reliable source, he isn't too far from a dark soul himself," Link said with a twirling finger around his ear.

"Let us please," Richard began with a sing-song yet solemn voice. "Not confuse the insane with dark souls."

Link lifted a hand half way in the air towards his friend which he understood as the sincerest form of apology.

"Relax," Jack snorted to Richard. "Just because your sister is a bipolar pain in the ass-"

"She's sciztophrenic."

"All in the same. No one is labeling the insane as monsters."

"I thought dark souls were the insane," Nicholas added shyly.

"Think before you speak," Richard said to him as if it was a ridiculous accusation. When Nicholas stared back even more confused, Richard scoffed and looked towards Link with a lazy gesture of a hand. "Explain."

Link nodded, ready to redeem himself from his earlier crude comment regarding Jack's uncle. "Dark souls are insane but they are not insane people. Otherwise, the Hylian army would not attack them, that would be murder. Since insane people don't have control of their minds or actions they can't be held responsible for being dangerous. But the army did attack, so therefore they were not merely mental patients."

"You're basing this theory on the army's moral integrity?" Nicholas asked, glancing at Jack for support.

"He's saying," Richard growled. "That it's stupid of you to think the army was just fighting the mentally impaired for three years."

"They were fighting monsters," Jack bellowed in a low voice. He then thought for a moment before speaking, choosing his next words carefully. "But..My uncle did say they walked and talked like a man."

"Not true," Link said in a short voice. "Dark souls are not man."

"What makes you so sure? Have you seen one for your own eyes?"

"No."

Richard stared at the side of Link's skull.

Jack ran the tip of his ringer around the rim of his glass. "No matter, I'm not saying they are men, I'm saying they could men of sorts. Half of the monsters I know of stem from man."

"Maybe," Link muttered just before the door behind him burst open, Elizabeth on the other side. Next to her was a cowering little mouse, in other words the newly hired member Millie.

"Huh," Elizabeth began as she entered the room, her chin slightly elevated and her eyes cast downwards in a pretentious gaze. "It seems the boys are having a little party without us."

Richard threw his head back and stretched his eyes to look at her. "Who said you needed an invitation?"

After giving her backstory of why the girl's couldn't have know about the party otherwise, she took a look around then wrinkled her nose. "It absolutely reeks of alcohol in here."

"I wonder why," Jack smirked.

"But," she sang, "I know one person who isn't drunk!"

From behind, Elizabeth placed her hands on Link's shoulders and brought her head next to his. "Are you?"

"No," Link said, subtly shaking her off. "I just got here."

She kept one hand in place and walked around to his side, her arm now resting lazily on his shoulder. "You wouldn't be drunk anyway. You're never drunk. You need to loosen up."

"Loosen up?" he scoffed. "I'm letting my workers drink on my property!"

"Not exactly what I meant. I can't wait until I see you drunk, sir," she said with a delightful shine in her thin, almond shaped eyes.

This playful shine was not in his eyes; in fact, his eyes were narrowed.

"Did you feed the east wing?"

"Was I supposed to?"

"Yes. I told you this morning. And I told Nicholas to remind you," Link then moved his blinding blue eyes towards Nicholas who gave him a panicked nod.

"I'll have to feed them tomorrow morning."

"Why don't you do it now?"

She took her arm off him. "After hours?"

"Yes, after hours. You can use the work hours you wasted in town today to make up for it."

Elizabeth looked to the side and muttered, "I didn't think you knew about that."

Millie frowned and looked towards Richard. "Were we not supposed to do that?" she whispered.

He lifted an eyebrow and shook his head.

Elizabeth, slightly flushed in the cheeks, crossed her arms and spat, "Millie and Catherine came too! Will they stay after?"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Millie's new, she didn't know any better."

"Then why doesn't Catherine have to stay?!"

He shot her a crooked smile and said, "Because I like her more."

Elizabeth, bright red in the face, squirmed with anger and struggled to use her words properly. "I-that's-You can't do that!"

"Now, Elizabeth."

She let out a furious grunt, spun around, and stormed out, passing a confused Catherine on her way. Everyone snickered once she was gone, Richard raising his glass to Link in approval.

"What," Catherine began with a breath. "Is going on in here?"

She flinched when Elizabeth slammed the door behind her.

"What's with the vixen?" she asked the room.

Link turned his head to her as she entered. "I know you guys were in town today."

"Oh," she said with a frown, her pink lips sagging in the most unpleasant way. "That's, um, because I really needed to get something for my mother and-"

He lifted a hand to silence her. "It's fine."

"Sorry, thank you," she said in a casual, sweet voice.

"Wasn't fine for Elizabeth," Jack muttered. "Link here's picking favorites."

After taking a full sip out of Link's drink, she set it down and chirped, "Yay, I'm the favorite," playfully ticking her head side to side like a braggart.

Richard scoffed, a high pitched, feminine noise, and held up both his hands, silently demanding an explanation. Link smiled at his friend and said, "You're a close second."

Jack lifted his drink to his lips and muttered loudly into the golden liquid, "I think Richard's facing unfair circumstances in this little contest."

"And why is that?" Link asked.

"I think that's pretty obvious," Jack said from across the table.

Link and Catherine shared a quick glance, neither knowing exactly what was going on in that mind of Jack's. Link responded to him with a shrug of his shoulder.

Jack gave a boyish smirk and glanced around the table to assure he was not alone in his opinion.

Link noticed this and drew his eyebrows together, "...We're not sleeping together."

The room erupted in roars of triumph, disbelief, and anguish. Catherine, Millie, and Link all flinched.

"DAMN IT!" Jack cried.

"I'm rich!" Richard cheered, throwing his head back.

"Wait, you didn't win, he could be lying."

"He's not lying. Nothing he does gets past me. I'd know if he was sleeping with her and I'd know if he was lying about it. So you owe me, what, 50 rupees?"

Link raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You bet 50 that I was sleeping with Catherine? Gods, you all are childish and crude boys! It has nothing to do with her being a woman or any of that. I like her because out of everyone here, she is the only one who isn't an asshole," he said this half-jokingly and added with a bittersweet smile, "Including myself."

"Do not call us boys when you are barely a man yourself!" Jack bellowed.

"You're what, 20? I'm 18; two years does not make up for your lack of maturity!"

Jack scoffed, clearly not knowing how to respond, and took to his drink instead.

Nicholas, a round-faced, kind looking young man looked over to the frail girl standing a few feet behind him.

"I'm sure Millie here isn't an asshole," he meant this in the sweetest, kindest way he could to the young girl, but it still came out like another barbaric comment.

Millie looked around the age of nine in that moment, although she was at least 17. She was basically trembling in discomfort, standing there awkwardly in the background.

"That's partly why I hired her," Link said with a comforting smile towards her.

" 'Partly' " Jack mocked.

"Are you still on this? I didn't hire her because she's a woman," he almost said 'girl' and he wasn't sure if the path he chose was any better.

"Yes you did, but for completely different reasons, sexist reasons."

Link held up a finger and waved it, warning Jack to watch himself, "My uncle is the sexist one not me. Besides, how does hiring a woman make me sexist? If anything it's the opposite."

"You hired her because you need more female workers, there were too many men here and you wanted to even it up. So technically, you were being sexist. Hiring her was a sexist decision."

Link leaned back in his chair in disbelief. "Who's in charge here? I don't need you analyzing my employment choices. I hired her because we needed a medic-"

"Enough!" Catherine snapped. "Stop talking about Millie in the third person like she's not here. You all are rude and crude little boys!"

The two young men apologized to the girl sincerely.

"It's alright," Millie said softly. She then excused herself, apologized to Link for being in town, and left without a single word, not even responding to Catherine's offer to walk her home.

"Am I going to be scared off by you boys as well or will I be able to join your drinking games?" Catherine asked.

"We were not playing games, we were discussing serious subject matter, aka the Great War."

"Oh," Catherine said with raised eyebrows. "Are you sure there's room for a poor, little gal like me in a conversation like that?" she looked around the table and noticed there were no open chairs. "Literally there's no room for me here."

Link took the opportunity. "Take my place," he said as he rose, "and take my drink."

A few of his workers called him out on this 'cowardly' move, claiming he barely got halfway through one drink, but he ignored them as always. He said he was exhausted.

"I can trust you two to make sure these fools are safe?" he asked Richard and Catherine.

"It would be my honor," Richard said with a hand over his chest.

Before he left, Link leaned in towards Catherine and murmured, "There is definitely room for you in a conversation like this, prove them wrong when you see fit."

Catherine smiled, nodded and turned away from him without a second thought, however Richard's eyes followed him out the door with a certain uncertainty and discomfort.

Link barely made it past the first hallway before he heard Richard catching up to him, calling out his name. He stopped and turned.

"Are you alright?" Richard asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, you seemed a little off."

"Did I?"

"A little."

He shrugged. "I didn't realize."

"Well I just thought maybe that made you uncomfortable...you know, the war and all that."

Link glanced towards his feet. "Richard, I told you about that because you asked, not for sympathy. I'm fine, you don't have to coddle me everything time someone mentions the war. I appreciate the concern though."

"Alright, just making sure."

"Goodnight and Richard.."

"Yeah?"

"Find Elizabeth and tell her she can go home if she wants."

He smiled. "Will do."

Link then rushed through the night, not wanting to be caught in the approaching rain storm, across the ranch and past the pasture to reach his home. Since he owned the ranch, he owned the house that came with the property. The royal family, who supplied most of the ranch's budget and supported his standard of living, wanted the best care for their horses and therefore they invested money into the ranch for the ideal conditions, making Link the luckiest stable hand in the land. His home was pretty nice for a worker; it was wide and had two floors. It was still a workers house; made of basic material and carried the bare essentials. It was still plenty more space than Link needed though, especially after his uncle left. He now had an extra room on the second floor that he never used.

He wasn't tired at all and his home felt awfully empty. He decided to use the extra time to be productive and completed tasks around his home until he felt the need to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: The Dream

Screams rang loud in Link's ear, so loud and pinching it's a phenomenon they didn't wake him. From every direction, there were screams with no owners. Although he was sure it was raining, he could not feel the water on his clothes or skin. He could see it though, it was the only thing to see. There was no color, light or darkness, there was just rain. He needed more substance than that, something to focus on other than rain. He hated rain.

He didn't hear it, but someone was calling for him. He knew someone was searching for him, and the more and more he searched, the more frantic and dire the situation became. Whoever needed him, needed him at that exact moment.

He called out for them, but got no clear response. Whether it was the rain or his unconscious mind, something seemed to be obstructing his senses; he felt like he couldn't breath. Suddenly, a woman appeared before him, it was finally something to focus on, but he wasn't sure he wanted to.

When he laid eyes on her he awoke from the abscurity of the dream to a state of clarity. He couldn't be truly awake, for he knew he had fallen asleep in his own bed and not in a forest, and there was still a falseness in the air. His surroundings, the trees and stones, although right before his eyes and not an image in his mind, were misshaped and occasionally blurred. But his body felt real, like he was actually standing there, in this dark forest with her.

He recognized his mother immediately, down to the clumped tears that spilled over her eyelids. If she wasn't crying, perhaps it would have taken him an extra moment. He recognized her dress as well, even though it was hidden under a thick layer of crimson. But it was her hair that triggered his memory above all else. He always remembered how different her hair was from his and how the color of it carried an uncanny resemblance to that of hot chocolate. He has yet to find someone who had the same desert-colored mane.

The blood dripped down her legs and created a puddle around her feet. His mind immediately went somewhere awful. His stomach churned. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Link!" she sobbed. "Run away!"

He wouldn't run. Instead he took a step forward. His mouth cried out and fell backwards to the ground. He hesitated.

"No! Run away!"

"But-"

"It's okay! It's alright," she suddenly conjured up a weak smile. "Don't worry about me. Don't worry about any of us," she swallowed hard, trying to control herself. "Don't look back. Run away."

"I…" Link stumbled on his words. He couldn't run away again. Suddenly, his mother became smaller and smaller, as if was doing just that. "Wait!" he called, his confusion replaced with frustration. Her cries disappeared. The screams disappeared. It was silent. Link spun himself around with a grunt, thinking he could maybe find her again. The rain had stopped. It was silent. The darkness began to lighten. The black sky turned grey. The forest floor beneath him turned to nothing.

"Iáznáix íhs uohíhs gníxnáuh, gnóíxgniy iqnáuhc."

"What?"

"At íhs naijíhs. At íhs naijíhs."

"Time for what?"

"Eliéw úznám ín ed núygním."

New screams filled the air. Broken, blood stained and burnt bodies, weapons and armor surrounded his feet. A ripped Hyrule flag swayed in the wind. It was a battle ground. He assumed he was imagining the war ten years ago, until he saw Epona across the ruins. She had weapons and gear strapped to her saddle, along with sachets so full liquids began to seep through the seems. She dipped her head then slowly laid down in exhaustion, the weight of her load pulling her to the ground. Epona was a strong horse, Link never imagined her giving out like that.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and violently flinched. Richard was by his side, causally looking out over the wreckage. "It'll be alright," he sighed.

"What will?" But when Link turned his head, his friend had suddenly appeared as Catherine. He flinched once again.

"I'm sorry about your horse," she said.

Link looked back towards Epona to realize her throat was slit. He had never seen such a large animal dying, the amount of blood was unimaginable. It gushed out of a large, wide gap in her neck like a dark river. He inhaled sharply and whispered, "This isn't real."

"Of course not," it was Jack now. "Not yet."

"You're saying my horse is gonna die?"

Nicholas. "Why would you think that?"

Link looked back to Epona to see she wasn't there. Even the blood that she laid in had been washed away. Nicholas was gone too. No one was there now.

A girl appeared next, sitting on the floor. She was dead still, face hidden from him under wheat-colored hair. Link found himself approaching her, bent down, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to expose herself as Millie. When she saw him, her cheeks flushed bright and red. At first he believed she was simply embarrassed, but then the flush appeared about her whole body, and suddenly her skin became diseased with flames eating away at her skin. She curled up in a ball, hugging her knees, and burned.

Before Link could even try to help, a pair of legs appeared before him. "You need to go now," it was Nicholas standing above him.

"What?" Link asked from below, his breath a hoarse, breathless whisper.

Another joined Nicholas's side, guarding the burning girl. "It'll be alright."

"Keep your hand covered," Elizabeth appeared next, looking down at Link with a blank stare.

Richard appeared last. "Run that way, okay? Don't look back."

Link dropped his head in a whimper. He wanted to wake up, he wanted this to be over.

Suddenly, a hand appeared before him, offering to help him up. It was a young man but had no face he could see or recognize.

It not speak to him aloud, but Link knew what is was saying to him. _You have no idea what you're doing, do you?_

Link stared back blankly.

Suddenly, a little girl appeared, about 7 or 8 years of age, tugging at the leg of the blank-faced stranger. He soon realized it wasn't just a little girl, he knew her when he was young. He'd recognize those green eyes anywhere.

He felt the muscles in his neck and stomach tighten when the stranger put his arm around her, pressing her against his side.

"Hi Link!" she said cheerfully. She actually used her voice, out loud.

"…Hi Saria."

The stranger held out a hand to her, which she took, and lead her away from the battle ground. They disappeared.

"Are you ready?"

Link turned to see Richard's sister bound by a straightjacket the color of milk. Her hair was knotted and spiraled outward like brambles. She raised a bushy eyebrow at him. It was funny how much she could resemble Richard yet look so different.

"For what?"

He felt a burning sensation on his hand and lifted it to see his glove was missing. In its place, on the back of his hand, was three triangles arranged into one. Although he knew what the symbol was, he narrowed his eyes in confusion.

He lowered his hand to not see Richard's sister in the jacket, but Princess Zelda. Before he could even react, she began to laugh hysterically, a screechy, wild sound, and twisted her body side to side like she was deformed person trying to dance. It was quite a sight.

The glow of his hand began to glow so bright that is was blinding him, Zelda began to disappear under it's ethereal shine. In his last glimpse of her, she was no longer laughing, but crying.

He awoke to his wooden ceiling.


	5. Chapter 5: Richard and Epona

The morning was spiteful. He was officially out of time to fall back asleep and get a decent rest. The strident red spot rising above the mountains through the window stung his eyes and poured morning light into his room, threatening to set it on fire unless he rose. His body ached. He wondered what would happen if he didn't wake up, if he just trusted his workers to carry out their work without him having to supervise them. He imagined the ranch burning to the ground.

He decided he would give himself an extra minute by waiting for the sun to reach the sharpened tip of the mountains. He counted the seconds slowly. 67.

He couldn't even dress himself in peace. Someone began to bang impatiently on his door the moment his feet hit the ground. No one came to his home on the ranch, no one came in. It was just something for his workers to look at. Since no one ever did, whoever this was must of had something important to say.

_Thump thump thump._

He nearly fell completely over while putting on his pant leg, but ended up just banging his ankle painfully in the horrid little corner of the table.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP._ He couldn't even put a shirt on the noise was pounding on his temple so angrily.

He ended up storming to the kitchen and ripping open the door. "What?!"

Elizabeth stood there with crossed arms and raised eyebrows. "Gods, relax. I thought you'd be up by now..." her eyes almost immediately dropped from his to his torso and flickered again with that playful shine. "Looks like I came just at the right time, however."

He refused to let her make him feel uncomfortable and leaned against the doorway. "Why are you at my doorstep?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I came in early," she turns slightly and gestures to the ranch behind her. "And finished feeding the west wing because that's the kind of dedicated, honest worker I am." She snaked herself up and to the side, trying to look past Link's shoulder into his mysterious cave where no one had been before.

"Good for you," he muttered and began to close the door.

She planted a firm palm there and restrained him from doing so. "_AND _I thought I should let you know there's something wrong with your girlfriend..aka your horse."

A river of blood. "..What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know but she won't stand up."

His stomach churned violently, like warm water sloshing back and forth in a bathtub.

She attempted to read him, her sharp eyes scanning. "You okay? You look like shit...well your face does anyway." It was obvious she didn't ask twos question out of concern.

"I didn't get a good sleep last night, I'm fine. If Richard's here yet tell him to wait for me near Epona's stall."

"Okay."

Right before he was about to close the door he stopped and said through the crack, "It was east wing by the way, not west."

"Fuck you," she scoffed in a quiet, half playful whisper knowing she wouldn't get away with it any other way.

* * *

><p>Richard was leaning against Epona's stall with his arms crossed in the most charming, nonchalant way and gave Link a curt wave of a flattened palm. His face hung with empathy, however. Link made no effort to greet him.<p>

"Has she stood up yet?"

At the moment he spoke a aggressive rustle came from inside her stall and moments later a large head bobbed out from over the door. Link felt his chest sink with relief.

"She has now." Richard smiled at him but got nothing in return.

When Link approached his beloved animal, she immediately groped his body with her head, pulling him closer to the stall and trapping him in a strong hug. He chuckled softly at first, thinking she was merely being playful, but she let out loud, heavy breaths. She was stressed.

He asked her what was wrong in a soft, loving-owner sort of way and tried to move around to the front of her to stroke her nostril. She wouldn't let him budge, she had her neck turned and her large face pressing him against the stall door. Link loved his horse and was never afraid of her or any other horse, but he didn't like the way she was holding him down. He felt as she was pressing on his gut, like she was massaging the contents of his stomach up and out. His vision blackened in the corners of his eyes and he ended up throwing his hands over her snout to keep from collapsing. Richard noticed the milky complexion of his friend's face and began to coax Epona off of him with a subtle tremble in his voice.

Moments later he pulled Epona away smoothly by her snout and let Link stumble away, the horse attempting once more to clench her teeth down on his shirt and pull him back. He collected himself flawlessly with a simple smoothing down of his shirt, as if he had tripped in public and had continued to walk without sparing a mere smile of discomfort. The blood returned color to his face and his stomach had settled.

The two young men stayed there for a moment, petting Epona in silence. Link enjoyed that silence, that calmness that let the mind know it has nothing to do but keep its body breathing. Of course Richard had to break it.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You look….tired."

"What? I'm not allowed to be tired?" Link's voice would make a child cry.

Richard stared at the side of his head until he muttered an apology then said,

"You're allowed to be tired, tired wasn't the right word. You looked sick back there."

Link shrugged. "I guess a horse head is heavier than I thought."

"She wasn't pressing on you at all though."

"Yes, she was. I couldn't move."

"Y-yeah but you could have easily- I mean she wasn't even-...never mind."

Link cared for Richard deeply, he did, but at that moment he wanted nothing more than for him to walk away and leave him be. But Richard had this tendency, the thing about him that Link absolutely dreaded, to poke his nose into places where it didn't belong.

He let his eyes wander from his horse to the outskirts of his property and took note of the way the light bounced off the fences. The light seemed to unnaturally divert its path away from this shadowed spot in the pasture, like an invisible wall was sheltering it. A monster was there, inside the paster, behind the fence. He flinched when he saw it, this dark, thin creature with skin that looked like it went through the same process fruit went through to make it dried and preserved. It's face was white, like a skull. For the short time he saw it, he couldn't tell if it was a mask or not. It stood there, dead still and hunched over with a sick smile on its face. It stared at him without eyes.

"What is it?" Richard asked.

It was gone.

"Er-nothing." He just saw a dark soul, he knew he did, but no one would believe it, so he didn't say it.

"You're not okay!"

"I didn't get a good sleep last night."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. It happens..." he thought for a moment and glanced at his friend's eager face, starving for answers, information. Another thing he disliked about Richard was how easily he got bored or restless. Part of his interrogation was concern, but another part was just this obsessive need for conversation, for argument, for something to go wrong, an issue to solve or to watch take place. "I had a dream last night," he said, tossing him a juicy bone. "I had a dream that I was the hero of legends."

Link then decided he would walk away and let his friend follow him, Epona was calmed and he wanted to check who of his workers managed to get here on time after the night before.

"I had a dream like that before," Richard chirped as he caught up to Link's side. "But the princess and I, we switched positions."

" 'Switched positions'? "

"Who are you, Jack?"

"Speaking of," Link murmured as they entered the west wing and approached a body leaning over a stall with a dropped head.

As they walked by, Link leaned to the side and grabbed a hanging shovel handle on the wall then loudly dragged it across the metal bars of the stall Jack was leaning over.

The hungover young man let out a loud, deep moan and groaned, "_You asshole!_", gripping his ears.

"Anyway," Richard continued. "By switched positions I meant at times I was the princess and she was the hero...well, you know how dreams are."

"Yeah, well...yeah," he paused for a moment, deciding not to explain how clear and lifelike his dream felt. "...How's your sister?"

"My sister?" Link might as well asked Richard why he had three heads. "She's...decent."

"She home?"

"N-no, she's in the institution. You know that."

"Oh. I thought maybe she was supposed to-"

"No, she's still there."

"Oh...well give her my regards." Link remembered then that Richard rarely got to visit his sister and regretted that remark. Richard didn't comment on it.


	6. Chapter 6: The Ball

"I don't want to do this."

"No one wants to do this."

"Yeah, but I really, really don't want to do this."

"Well, in that case, if you really, really don't want to then you can go home."

"Really?"

"No."

Jack's face fell with annoyance and disappointment as he and Nicholas followed Link up the road towards the castle grounds.

"I just don't get why they can't pick up their own horses."

"Because they don't want to get their shoes dusty," Link said.

After a moment of delicate hoof steps coming from the most pristine, beautiful white horses the land had to offer, Jack murmured,"I can't imagine what they have to celebrate."

Nicholas asked, "What do you mean?"

"Why would they celebrate on the bridge of war? It seems like…poor etiquette."

"We're not on the bridge of war," Link corrected. "They're celebrating 10 years of peace. Just because nothing wrong has happened doesn't mean it will."

"Means we're over due."

Nicholas shrugged. "Well, maybe there's a reason we just don't know it."

"Perhaps," Jack sighed as they approached the royal grounds, passing the now dormant training grounds. In front of them laid the immense castle gates and the castle walls, guarded of course. Link could just see the tips of the towers over the stone. After the guards identified them with a questionnaire, obnoxious considering the guards have seen Link plenty of times before, the long and heavy gates opened slowly and loudly revealing the immense and elegant royal castle across the long, bountiful garden. Behind him, Link caught Jack smirking at Nicholas' awed reaction.

As they entered, they stuck out like a sore thumb. Servants rushed by them carrying covered trays of food and buckets full of wine and liquor bottles with labels none of the ranch workers had the wealth to recognize.

Link looked around at the silk white tents embodied with precious gems and the abundance of flower arrangements. It was beautiful, even in the daylight, and he tried to imagine what it would look like at night, of course he wouldn't be able to see it. He noticed a few noble maidens giggling as they gushed at the decorations. They weren't at all in awe though, they just thought the lights looked nice.

Jack was complaining loudly about the amount of money the castle had spent on the occasion and Link decided not to point out the gems studded in the tent fabric like he was going to before. He turned away from the maidens and the lights and put his attention towards tying the horses down. He decided he didn't really care about what the palace did with their money.

In his opinion, as long as he and his workers were paid and as long as their lavishness wasn't killing the less fortunate, they could throw all the balls they wanted. There was nothing he or Jack could do about the gap between the rich and poor or the extravagant lives of royals; complaining didn't make a difference. That was his theory, at least.

Jack suddenly nudged Link's side and ticked his head towards the tent.

"One of those maidens is ogling you."

Link turned only to have Jack elbow him harder. "Don't taint it!" he hastily directed. "Exploit a little, why don't you? Banter her! Chaff!"

Link sighed as he worked the knots. "What's the point of doing that?"

"What's the point?" Jack scoffed. "What's the point of painting a masterpiece or writing a symphony? What's the point of eating delicious food?"

"But if there's no canvas for you to paint on, there's no point in waving your brush in the air and if you don't have the money to buy the delicious food there's no point in drooling over it!"

Jack stared at Link blankly for a moment then asked, "Having performance issues, my friend?"

"_No_, I'm saying that's there's no point because there's no way those maidens will actually do anything with us. They're just bored with their comfy lives and like to look at the dirt on our skin but would never really touch it. So there's no point in 'chaffing'."

He then straightened himself and turned, suddenly finding himself face to face with the green-eyed Lady Ellington the Third, the comely maiden mere inches away.

Taken aback and flustered, he gave a crooked smile. "Lady Ellington." He probably should have bowed, but he decided against it.

"The third," she added.

"The third," he nodded once then said, "Um, how much did you hear of that?"

"Hear of what?" she said with a genuinely confused she smiled brightly, dismissing his question.

Jack patted Link on the back, leaned in and murmured into his ear, "There's your canvas."

* * *

><p>"Remember the other day?" Link began as he and Lady Ellington walked through the garden. "When you told me to make sure my ranch had enough room for war horses?"<p>

She hesistated. "Yes. I always thought the ranch was so small and some of the troops are returning from their posts..so I thought there should be more room for the horses."

"The soldiers are returning from their posts?"

"Yes."

"From 10 years ago?"

"W-No, just-...Excuse me," she said with a blush on her cheeks. "I'm terribly idiotic when it comes to political details."

"That's alright. I guess I was just curious since-"

"Oh, look who it is!"

The princess was strolling through the gardens, testing a rose colored beverage and consulting the servant by her side. Link winced, unsure what to do with his dirty, unkept self. 'Look who it is' was way too causal of a warning.

Zelda lifted a hand to her guards, silently commanding them to stay behind as she approached. Link fell to one knee and bowed his head.

"Good evening Princess," Evergreen said politely. "You're looking lovely as always."

"Who's this?" she asked kindly.

Link looked up and met her blue eyes, expecting nothing in return. The exact opposite happened.

The instant she saw him, the split second she met his eyes, hers widened with shock. She gasped and dropped the glass; it shattered into hundreds of tiny diamonds. A few of these diamonds hit Link's boot it fell so close. He narrowed his eyes in confusion at the shards as she stood there, stunned. When he looked back up at her, there were tears welling in her eyes, actual tears. She was covering her mouth with both cupped hands, like she was looking at a dark soul instead of a human being. He was more frightened for his own well being than anything else, knowing what this must have looked like.

And alas, her guards rushed forward. Before he even saw them reach him, Link felt hands grab his shoulders and lift him to his feet. They pulled his arms behind his back and he grimaced; they didn't naturally bend the way they were forcing them to. Link squirmed in frustration. Jack bolted over to them, obviously watching from afar, and barked protests. Nicholas, along with the maidens, just stared. It took an enormous amount of self control for Jack and Link not shout foul language towards the guards.

"I didn't lay a finger on her!" Link growled. "I've done nothing wrong!" He felt angry towards Zelda, getting him in this kind of trouble just by dropping a champagne glass.

"Princess, do you recognize this man?" They shoved Link back towards the ground, him falling to his knees and his arms painfully pulled backwards. A few strands of unruly hair fell into his face as he looked up at the princess with a craned neck.

Zelda hesitated and looked at Link for a long time.

"If you don't feel safe saying so out loud.." a guard began.

"No," Zelda forced out. Her tears were gone. "No, I don't know him. My hand slipped; there's absolutely no reason to act so barbaric. Release him immediately and go about your duties."

The guards stepped back from Link and bowed their heads. "Our apologies, your highness."

"Dismissed," she said casually with a wave of her hand. The guards retreated to the sides, stubbornly watching from afar. Zelda turned to Link. "My apologies, sir."

"It's alright, your majesty. I'm sorry if I…offended you in any way."

"Don't be ridiculous. You are not in fault here."

Her expression suddenly seemed soured, like she had just eaten something terrible.

"Nice meeting you," she said tersely and strolled quickly away.

"...An honor," Link muttered.

Once they were out of ear's reach, Jack leaned towards Link."Let us retreat from this blue-blooded hell."

* * *

><p>That night, Zelda did not attend the ball. Instead, she spent the night screaming and banging on her father's door, demanding him to open it and tell her what was happening. She spent the night alone in the hallway, red faced and crying.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7: The Nightmare

A mixture of foam and saliva trickled down Richard's chin. "They actually said that?!"

Link made a feminine gesture with his hand mockingly. "The art of secrecy is a well known thrill."

Richard, Nicholas, and Jack erupted. "As if they would know! I bet the only 'thrill' they've experienced is a carefully choreographed waltz with a well-fed noble man in his thirties!"

"HA!" Nicholas barked.

Jack snickered and threw his weight against Link. "I almost feel sorry for the poor girls! Having to lower their standards to you!"

"So you're admitting they chose me over you?"

"You twist my words."

The door opened. Catherine, Millie and Elizabeth poked their heads in. "What the hell is going on in here?"

Jack leapt to his feet. "Vixens! Off with you! Wicked vixens!"

"What?!" Elizabeth shrieked as he attempted to close the door. "How dare you, you sexist brute!" She and Catherine threw their weight against the door, slamming Jack against the wall. Laughter rumbled in the background as they strolled in and sat down.

"What could you boys possibly be talking about?" Elizabeth asked.

"What do you think?"

All the men, besides Link of course, snickered in amusement. Catherine looked towards him. "Please don't tell me you bothered the maidens on the royal grounds."

"It was on them, right Link?"

He lifted a shoulder. "On them...but I wouldn't say you weren't encouraging them."

Catherine refused to look away from Link. "You should be careful. You can get into a lot of trouble for that."

Link shook his head at her and looked her straight in the eyes. He didn't do so often. "It was meaningless banter."

Jack let out a sharp bark of laughter. "He's being modest. A beautiful maiden was basically undressing before him!"

"I'm sure she was," Catherine murmured half jokingly as she sat down.

Jack swatted Link's shoulder. "Shame on you for not taking the opportunity!"

As the volume of their voices increased, so did Link's level of fatigue. He listened half heartily to his workers bicker in a strange daze. Their voices crashed in and over him carelessly. To him, they were naïve yet rather charming and listening to them was entertaining at the most, dull at the least.

After they finished their drinks they would return home to their parents or families for the night. That was likely the cause of this imagery age gap Link conjured in his mind.

They saw their jobs as temporary. A mere time filler until they find their path as merchants or warriors, this was just an easy job to get them started. None of them would be here in 10 years, with the exception of Richard, if he decided to stick with this line of work. That was unlikely, however. Not many chose this job for life.

His workers would all grow tired of the routine of the ranch and leave, perhaps rather soon. He did not blame them.

No one would choose such a simple life at such a young age. Sure, they choose it for now, for the moment, for a year, maybe a season. This was the kind of job that would be there if they failed at greater things, it would be there if they fall, and Link would welcome them just as well as when they first came, with the exception, maybe, of Elizabeth.

Sometimes, when he let himself ponder it, he envied his workers for their options. The ability to experience a full life before retreating to the peace of a simple one.

Sometimes, if he let himself admit it, he thought his life was backwards. It wasn't what he wanted.

Sometimes, if he let himself feel so, he felt like he had wasted his youth. The childlike sense of passion and wonder was replaced by work and responsibility, something that will only grow stronger as years go by. Children reminded him of that fact.

He wondered if he would ever muster the passion and nerve to leave the ranch. He loved the ranch, he did, but he could love something else more.

He didn't like to think this way so he often didn't.

It was too late anyway. His mind had already matured past the point of return.

He grew tired, excused himself, and retreated for the night. He could just barely hear the music from the ball.

* * *

><p>That night was dreamless, that was, until, he woke up. The monster was standing at the foot of his bed, a few feet back from the mattress and a few inches to the left. It stood there, hunched over and relaxed like it had been left hanging to dry. It stared at him without eyes and gave him the same blank, toothy-grinned expression. Even though its skin was dark along with his room, he could see it well against his light brown closet doors.<p>

It stood still without even the rise of its back to breath. It really didn't look alive; it was more like an old, antique doll that's expression and features have been worn away with time. It looked dusty and sewn together, like if its flesh were to be torn, sand would poor out instead of blood.

This was a false accusation, however, for there were wounds up and down the thing's body that indeed oozed a liquid, however it did not carry the same crimson shine as blood. No, it was more of an inky black hue that nearly blended in with the thing's skin.

Its right leg and arm were broken, however it stood fine, be it a little slanted. There were two things that disturbed Link the most about this monster at the foot of his bed. One was its human figure; its hands, legs, feet, knees, elbows. Surprisingly, if the thing appeared more as a werewolf or a three-headed demon, it would have been less eerie and more like a fantasy or a dream; he think he would have liked it better that way. The second was its stillness and how it just refused to move or make a sound.

It sure was a frightening thing.

He didn't like it staring at him like that, he wished it would just attack him already, assuming that's what it was there to do. He in turn felt like he couldn't move or make a sound without triggering it out of its trance. Yet, at the same time, part of him wanted to throw his hands out and yelp at the thing, hoping to get it moving. It was the same urge that encouraged a child to wind the Jack in the Box lever all the way through even though they themselves were wound just as tight as the toy itself. The same inclination one feels to poke at a firecracker or bomb that didn't go off when it was supposed to. That need to provoke something into motion, even though frightening, just because one knows it will move eventually.

But before he could let that need take over, the thing moved on its own. It waddled loudly and block-like, like a deformed penguin, and made its way outside his room. He heard the sound of its feet, this grotesque, squishy sound, get quieter and quieter until he heard nothing. Link stared at the door way for a long time, waiting to hear something else, something that would give away its whereabouts.

But he didn't, so he got out of bed and found himself in his doorway, neither in nor out of his room, staring down his hall towards the front door. He could just see his front door from where he was standing, and he could just see the inside of his kitchen, only half of the far counter in few. After standing there a minute he saw a few pans in his kitchen move in the corner of his eye and when he looked they were still moving, but there was nothing else.

Suddenly, he heard the patter of the monster's foot steps and saw it with its back turned to him, leaving his house. The door opened and closed, the monster casually waddling out.

What Link didn't know, however, was that the moment the monster had left, it was staring at the back of his head from the inside of his room. When he turned around, he didn't notice, because it wasn't there anymore. He crawled back in bed and stared at the moonlight that poured obnoxiously into his room. He lied there, huddling under his blanket like a child, and listened.

Sure enough, he heard the patting of its feet in mere minutes, loud enough to not only be back in the house, but right by his bedside. He felt it there, staring at him, and he felt the urge to leave his room immediately.

He used that urge of provocation to burst out of his bed, loudly stampede through his kitchen, and barrel across the field towards the ranch in the middle of the night. He didn't do it slowly, knowing the thing would show up if he did so, and he didn't do it quietly, because there was no point of milking the tension.

He despised running. If he could just get away from his house, he would be safe.

Epona's stall was the safest place to him, next to his large, caring horse in a locked, confined space. She was lying down when he entered and sleepily greeted him with a lift of her head and a delicate snort. She was warm and soft and he was perfectly comfortable leaning against her round belly for the night.

He closed his eyes and rested his head back for a while, enjoying the sound of another's breath. He opened his eyes. A fatal mistake.

For there, in the window of the stall, was the monster peering in with its deformed fingers gripping the sill. It stared down at him, half of its skull face lit by the moon and did nothing.

Link, over tired and frightened, began to weep and demanded what it wanted from him. It didn't do anything. As he looked at it, he realized this was the first time he wished he was living with someone. He refused to look away from it.


	8. Chapter 8: The Mark

Catherine, who was crouched over him, pointed out the grey-blue bags under his eyes to Richard, who was peering in over the stall door. She wiped the sweat off his forehead with a rag and said something Link did not catch, but he was pretty sure she used the word 'stubborn'.

When he opened his eyes and saw Catherine, he did nothing. But when he looked up towards the opening in the stall door and saw Richard's silhouette against the morning sun he violently jerked backwards. Catherine naturally flinched as well and immediately put her hands on him to calm him down. He settled himself quickly and on impulse murmured, "I'm fine."

"You're not fine! Why were you passed out in Epona's stall?"

"I-um-there was a problem with my room and I..."

Both Catherine and Richard stared at him intently, genuinely waiting to hear his explanation.

He had nothing. His mouth was gaped open for a full minute before he admitted to himself he had absolutely no reason to be where he was, except, of course, the real reason. He ended up just slouching his shoulders and letting out a depressed breath. Richard and Catherine shared a look.

"Can you stand?" Richard asked, dropping it.

Link nodded and did so, his horse following. He shook off Catherine's hand that was on his shoulder.

"I'll be alright. How long did I oversleep?"

"It's noon."

Link ran a hand through his hair, which was wet underneath. "Were the horses returned from last night?"

"Yes."

"Good." He began to leave the stall and once he did so, Richard moved with an impressive reflex. He did something with his hands invisible to Link. He couldn't open the stall. "...Did you lock the door?"

"..Yeah."

Fury began to boil behind Link's eyes. "Richard," he began in a long, drawn out voice like he was talking to a child. "Open the stall."

Richard gripped the door and put all his weight against Link's. "Not until you see a medic!"

"If you want to keep your job open the damn stall!"

"You won't fire me."

"Watch me!"

"Link just talk to Millie!"

"I'll break the door down before I do that!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Watch your mouth!"

Richard's face was red by that point. "Don't treat me like your employe!"

"I-" Link suddenly felt his muscles die out and his weight swing forward onto the stall door, using it as support rather than pressing against it. His vision blackened for a moment, an inky layer over the color of his world, and he dropped his head towards the hay below his feet. He let out a staggered breath.

His body failed him, humiliated him, fought against his argument. Catherine placed a hand on his shoulder gingerly and after he straightened himself, he nodded.

* * *

><p>"We shouldn't be here," Nicholas murmured to Elizabeth.<p>

"Hush," she said as she peered into Link's bedroom window from the outside, crouched like a burglar.

"He will literally kill you, literally, just for being this close!"

"I don't think he'll kill me...he might fire me...he'll probably fire me but I don't care. I was going to quit anyway, I might as well have some fun before I go."

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"I'm not leaving here until I find something."

"What are you expecting to find?"

"Something humiliating or shocking, I mean he's hiding something. I just want to know what it is. It'll bother me if I don't."

"You think he's hiding something?"

"You don't?"

"Well, just cuz he likes his privacy doesn't mean he's hiding a dead body or something."

"Would you really be surprised if he was?"

Nicholas opened his mouth to retort but ended up shrugging and said, "I don't really know him well enough."

Seconds later he thought he heard a twig snap and nearly yelped. "I swear to gods if we get caught-"

"Blame it on me."

Nicholas was pretty content with that, even though he still didn't understand completely why he was there with her. He knew there was a reason, he just couldn't pin it. "Did you find anything?"

"No," Elizabeth scoffed, as if that was a ridiculous question. "If he was hiding a dead body it wouldn't be lying out on his bed, would it?"

"Then why are you looking in there," Nicholas muttered under his breath. He turned his head to the side and noticed a shed against the back wall of the house. He decided to investigate on his own.

He didn't get far, he merely placed his hands on the handles to the doors before Elizabeth shoved him to the side. He stepped back and let her dramatically open the shed, both hands on each handle. When she did so, she exposed an array of glistening weapons that twinkled, welcoming the sunlight. Knifes, hammers, swords, armor, and in the center of it all a magnificent bow accompanied by a quiver stuffed with arrows. Elizabeth swung her head around, arms still spread out and hands still gripping the handle, gave a devilish smile and said, "I knew it. He's a serial killer."

"Isn't his uncle a blacksmith?"

"I prefer to think he's a serial killer."

* * *

><p>Millie was shaking. Link imagined if he put a glass of water on her head it wouldn't last 5 seconds.<p>

"Um, what did you say was wrong?" she asked shyly as they sat in the back room.

He held up a finger. "I didn't say anything was wrong because nothing is. Catherine and Richard think I'm dying."

The look she gave told him she was uncertainty whether he was serious or not. Perhaps he needed to work on his sarcasm.

"My sleeping schedule's been..off I guess and I've been tired."

"Well that doesn't seem too bad."

"I know!" he scoffed.

"But you do look pale."

"Thanks."

"Well, I-I mean just a little paler than usual, you're not pale."

"I'm not feeling great but...I mean I'll get over it."

She was staring at something and well he followed her eyes he realized it was his right hand. His fingers twitched under her gaze in discomfort.

"Are you missing a glove?" she asked.

He didn't hear her she asked so quietly. "Huh?"

"You're only wearing one glove. Are you missing the other?"

"Oh no," he said, moving his hand under the table. "I only wear one."

"Oh, okay. Well, is there anything else wrong? I might be able to give you something."

"Really?" if he was an animal his ears would have perked up. "You could give me medication?"

"Well, it depends on what-"

"Cuz I've been seeing things. Like hallucinations I guess."

"Well, hallucinations may be a bigger deal."

Link noticed she started her sentences with 'well' a lot. He thought someone should tell her before she says it for the rest of her life.

"I'm sure it's a continuation of a strange dream," he said dismissing it. "I just need sleep."

"What did you see?"

He couldn't think of a lie, so he decided to laugh through the truth. "A dark soul," he smirked. "Can you believe it? A dark soul. In my room."

"Thank god it wasn't real."

"W-yeah," he began with twitched eyebrows. "I suppose I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Well, you may be getting sick. I'm sure you'll be alright but I'll give you something that will help you sleep and then if you're still seeing things then, we'll...you can go to a more...experienced medic."

Link smiled and nodded right before Jack opened the door and poked his energetic face inside. It almost made Link nauseas. "Oh, sorry if I'm interrupting something," Jack chirped. "But I'm pretty sure Nicholas and Elizabeth are robbing your house right now."

"What?"

"You didn't hear that from me."

Link rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger and muttered, "And yeah, I have headaches," to Millie.

* * *

><p>And that's when it happened. When he was fast-walking across the field towards his house in long strides ready to catch Elizabeth and Nicholas, more so Elizabeth, red handed with whatever they were up to. It seemed like such a random, insignificant time and place for it to happen. He often looked back upon it and pondered why. There seemed to be no reason.<p>

It started with a burning sensation on the back of his right hand, which he blamed on the heat he often felt from the thick leather of his glove. But it got worse, and he ended up holding it tightly with his left as he walked, biting the inside of his lip as he did so.

He walked around his house, following the voices, and as he approached the corner he could just see Elizabeth holding up a tiny, humble shirt up to her chest and smirking to Nicholas. A pair of trousers the same side laid over the side of the shed, a box inside pried open. He became too infuriated to wait and listen.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he growled, fully stepping around the corner.

Elizabeth dropped the shirt. Link imagined it sinking through the mud and disappearing.

Nicholas whipped his head around in a violent flinch and almost launched into a full on sprint in the other direction.

Elizabeth picked up the shirt, observed it, and said, "What, did you murder a ten year old and this is your trophy?"

"Those are my clothes. Put them down, now."

"Aw, Link was a ten year old," she cooed to herself.

"I was eight," he muttered as he stormed up to her and snatched it out of her hands. She could basically feel the heat radiating off him he was so angry. When she looked up at him, she could the blue liquid of his eye boil and the muscles in his neck tremble. Her voice suddenly became shaken.

"Um, I-I'm fired, aren't I?"

He was yelling louder than he should, but personally he felt justified to yell as loud as he wanted. "_You are so fired! And I will personally make sure its **very** difficult for you to get another job_!"

She recoiled back with each word as if they actually stung. He turned to see Nicholas wide-eyed like a frightened deer. He pointed a finger at him and approached him, and he too cringed as if awaiting a blow.

"And _you_! You have some nerve pulling a stunt like this when you've only been here a few months! I can understand this kind of behavior from Elizabeth but not from you! You fucking coward, have a spine! You knew I'd be upset-"

"Not this upset," he whispered.

"And you did it anyway! Because Elizabeth told you to?!"

"Link," Elizabeth began.

"Shut up Elizabeth!"

"LINK!"

"What?!"

"Your hand is glowing."

"W-" he lifted up his hand to see an ethereal glow breaching through the openings in his glove. This site made him sick to his stomach. He became frustrated, feeling bombarded by an invisible force that wanted to torture him. "...Leave."

"What?"

"_LEAVE NOW!_" They ran away, but he kept hollering after them, red in the face. "LEAVE BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

Without skipping a beat, without taking a new breath, Link ripped off his glove and looked at the back of his right hand. Three. Three of them. Perfect, exact, and arranged into one.

His face broke into dismay, already awaiting the worse and most obvious outcome. He began to unravel, letting out a whimper and throwing his hand down, then up, then down again, looking away from and back at it each time. Shirt in hand, he threw his back up against his house wall and sunk down.

Tears escaped freely and rolled effortlessly down his cheeks and dripped down into his lap. His face, although scrunched in agony seconds before, was calm. He stared downwards towards the grass, through the grass. His glove laid inches away from his feet.


	9. Chapter 9: According to Legend

**Chapter 9: _According to Legend_**

"Link?"

He wasn't surprised when Catherine found him a good 10 minutes or so later. He was expecting her.

His tears hadn't completely run their corse when she found him, his eyes were still red and watered when he looked up at her.

She was taken aback by the shine. They stared at each other a moment and Catherine knew that this particular moment was critical. It was time for her to decide what to ask him, to go over the endless list of different questions in her head and choose the best. 'What's wrong?' was too personal, 'What are you doing?' was too patronizing.

But then her eyes cast downwards and spotted his hand, which was not glowing any more but still carried the distinct, golden brown mark. She stared at that for a longer moment, Link growing impatient. One question razed her mental list. "Is that real?"

It seemed like a stupid decision to him, but he didn't blame her for it. He answered with a nod.

She threw her head around, first down, then to the side, then up, as if trying to toss the tears out of her eyes. She was possible as upset as he was, but less angry and more heartbroken. Her hand found its way to her mouth, covering it, like she enjoyed the way her skin felt on her lips. She held it there and pressed until her lips parted and made way for the side of her finger to press against her teeth.

He didn't like her reaction and she could tell. She calmed herself with a deep breath that shook her lungs. "Okay, it'll be alright...Just-Oh Link, it'll be alright. Don't be upset."

He had hid his face from her at that point.

She gingerly sat next to him against the wall and stared at the shirt he was gripping while his eyes were turned.

"How long have you known?"

"That shadow," he said, pointing his marked hand towards the dark casting of a tree that covered a sliver of his leather glove. "Was slightly to the right."

She looked at the shadow for another moment then dismissed what he said. "And you're sure it's real?"

"Yes...What-I-why wouldn't it be real?"

"I was wondering if you had maybe-..."

"Oh, no, I-It just kind of showed up."

She nodded.

"I feel tired," he murmured. "I'd like to go to sleep."

"..."

She reached out and touched his left hand. He flinched and moved it away.

She frowned, insulted. "Link..."

He held up his left, bounced it in the air, petting an invisible dog, and said, "Just...Shhhh." He was staring down at nothing again, as if he was trying to hear a small sound or begging someone to be quiet in sake of a hangover.

He suddenly felt a hand on his chin, a little pressure applied, and his head was lifted slightly, forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"Don't do it, Link. Don't block it out. I can see your eyes glazing over. Come on, focus, be present. You have to. I know this is terrible. I know. But you gotta be yourself right now, okay? Tough and mature, don't fall apart on yourself now. Not now." She stood up and looked down at him. "Get up. Come on."

He stared up at her. Through her.

"Please."

He got up.

"Okay-" she raised her eyebrows as he immediately walked over to the shed, placed his shirt inside a little box filled with other clothing, shut the box inside the shed, then shut the shed. As he walked back over to Catherine, he swiftly bent down on his way and swiped his glove up from the grass.

He joined her side. As he slipped on his glove, she watched the symbol disappear.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "It'll be alright. It's not the end of the world."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

She said nothing.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry for yelling at you this morning," Richard murmured. "Wasn't my place."<p>

"Don't apologize. Regardless of-, you had the best intentions."

"I was talking to Nicholas. He was wants to know if he still has a job."

"That's your decision now. As of now, he's not fired. I don't want to leave you with the burden of finding another set of hands."

Richard dipped his head to the side but Catherine interrupted him in a soft voice before he could say anything.

"You're leaving?"

"I don't really have a choice do, I? I have to go and-...Well, I'm not sure what I have to do."

The corner of Richard's mouth peeled up like old paint. "You're giving me the ranch?"

"Who else would I give it to? Jack? The horses would starve as he would get fat!"

Richard cast his eyes downward and tried to smother his smile.

"You're leaving," Catherine asked, her voice broken. "When?"

"Tomorrow, I suppose."

"So soon?"

"I need to leave soon. Before something bad happens."

"What's gonna happen?"

"I don't know, maybe nothing. But staying here certainly won't help."

"Help what?" Richard asked.

"You pretend like I know."

Richard silenced and turned his head to look outside the window as rain invited itself into the conversation.

Link was sitting down at the table next to Catherine as Richard remained standing and leaning against the wall.

The succulent rain air shook the wooden shutters into the slightest little tremble.

"Can you shut the window, please?" Link asked.

Richard did so and locked it.

"Do you want us to come with you?" he asked Link.

"Come with me? Where? Out there?"

"No, just to the castle. We can come with you, if you'd like, assuming you're going there first."

"No need. They'll make you wait outside anyway."

"You'll need a sword."

"I have one."

"A better one."

"My sword's fine."

"Not for this."

"I don't need a new sword."

"...We can get it for you, if you'd like. I can tell him you sent me."

"No. My sword is fine. I don't need a new one."

"Alright."

Link dragged his finger along side the rim of the book. "It's bigger than I remember."

"Have you read any of it before?"

"No. Not even sure why there was a copy in my house. It was always just there, in the bookshelf, among the others. It never moved."

"I had a copy once," Richard said. "But my family lent it to another and we never saw it again."

"You can have this one," Link said and used his finger to push it forward half an inch.

"You don't want it?"

"Do I?"

Someone thumped on the door so loud the lock on the window rattled. "God dammit, since when is this door locked?!"

Jack.

Link gave Richard permission to open it with the slightest flick of the hand. He then moved his right under the table.

Jack came in like a dog, soaked and shaking his head back and forth to rid it of the water.

"It's really coming down out there," he chirped. His eyes fell upon the book in the center of the table and he smirked. "Y'all having a prayer circle? Pardon me if I don't jump to join you."

"We're not praying."

"Good. I should think you three have better sense than that. You're supposed to be the smart ones."

"I assume you're not very religious?"

"Let's just say if Hylia is real, she's one deaf bitch."

Catherine's cheeks flushed as if she regretted engaging.

Link mouthed 'it's okay' to her. But Jack wasn't finished.

"If it were up to me, I would've ground up those books by now and turned the pulp into new bed sheets."

"Stop talking, Jack," said Richard.

Jack gave a crooked, confused smile towards him and opened his mouth to say something, but shrugged it off. "Alright, never mind then."

The door was still. A mousetrap waiting to snap. Link expected someone else to come in.

"I'd think the others would want shelter from the rain."

"Not many 'others' left. Elizabeth went home. She was crying."

"And I assume Nicholas doesn't want to share my company."

"He wouldn't miss a minute of work even if the ranch was on fire. Not after he pissed you off so badly. Told me you were terrifying."

Link rubbed the side of his glove with his thumb. "What else did he tell you?"

"Didn't say much else. Nothing worth repeating."

Catherine leaned in close and murmured something low in Link's ear. She might as well be confessing an affair her voice was so smothered.

"Not that it's my business, but I don't think it'd be wise to leave with your identity in the hands of a vixen."

"What about Nicholas?"

"I'll speak to him. And Elizabeth."

"No I'll speak to Elizabeth."

"W-Because she'll listen to you?"

"Because it's far less pretentious for me to ask for her discretion myself rather than sending someone in my place."

Jack's eyes were darting back and forth between the two of them. "I'm afraid of the dark, you know."

"This doesn't involve you, Jack," Catherine said.

"It doesn't involve any of us," Richard muttered.

Link's eyes veered toward the shutters. "How long do you think the rain will last?"

"Another hour."

"I have things to get done. Won't relax until I do so."

Jack drummed his fingers on the cover of the book. "You'll be knee high in manure but won't step out in the rain."

"It's a long walk to town."

"To town?"

"To see Elizabeth."

Jack dropped his eyes. "You can catch up on your reading while you wait."

"I'm not a fan of history."

"Than this could be your new favorite. You'd actually need an author's name on the spine for it to be a credible piece of history. This is mythology, fantasy. Written by too many story tellers to give credit for."

"Don't contradict the truth just to stroke your ego," Catherine hissed.

"Discrimination."

"No. Stupidity. Saying these pages are false is like saying the sky is green."

"You're treating religion like scientific fact. I don't have to believe it if I don't want to. And, hell, if I want to see green in the sky who gives a shit?"

"I do!"

"You don't have opinions of your own so you criticize mine?"

Catherine's check flushed. "You are being insensitive!"

"To who? You? I never knew you cared so much."

She didn't respond to that. She found a new interest in the wood of the table.

"Nothing wrong with being old-fashion," Jack said, his voice ringing with victory. "Just don't blame those of us who are keeping up with the time."

"Jack," Richard warned. "Stop. Now."

Jack apologized with a puzzled expression and silenced.

The rain sounded lighter. Light enough, light enough to leave. Link stood up.

"Where are you going?" Richard asked immediately.

"Outside. To find the others."

And then he left. Richard and Catherine's eyes followed him.

* * *

><p>It was still raining. Lightly but surely. He hated that grey fog that fell over everything. He couldn't even fucking see.<p>

Turns out he didn't want to see. Not anything. The monster was back, the same pale faced dark soul with that damn toothy grin.

He was standing outside the ranch when he saw it, it was out in the field again. He could just see it. Everything behind it was gone.

He stared at it, bored really. What did it want this time?

He looked to the side and saw Millie standing just inside the ranch, outside the stalls and under the roof. It almost seemed like she was ready to step out into the rain. A basket of grooming supplies were in her arms. God she was a small thing. Small and frail and pretty.

She looked out at him and seemed like she had something to say to him. He was about to call out for her but her attention wandered from him.

He became confused quickly. She couldn't be looking at...no. She couldn't be looking at it. It only appeared to him, it only looked at him. It wasn't really there. There were no more dark souls. No more. None.

Except there was a few fucking liars who claim they've seen some thin, sinister little ape thing wandering about the forest. Those who immediately blame the inhuman beasts that don't exist when a child goes missing or found torn to bits. But that's what they were, liars. Beat up veterans who want the war to last on because they have nothing else to live for. Couldn't pin the body on a stray wolf or dog or even another human, it had to be a dark soul. A controversy, a story.

...But she seemed to be staring at it. And then she looked scared. She dropped the basket. It looked away from him. It turned its chin over its shoulder. It was looking at her.

They stared at each other for a good 10 seconds before the monster opened its jaw. It screeched. So high pitched and terrifying and loud. Link didn't even know it could speak.

Millie was horrified. Halfway through its scream, she let out her own. But it was the type of scream that grew. Started deep in her throat, with her hands up by her face, and then developed into a full blown wail. Got real high pitched towards the end, when she turned and bolted down the stall hallways. It was possibly the second worse thing Link had ever seen in his life.

The dark soul burst into motion after her, falling to all fours and galloping into the stables.

_"MILLIE!" _Link cried.

She kept screaming as she barreled down the halls, tripping on herself. The dark soul wasn't far behind.

"RUN LITTLE GIRLIE!" the monster screeched. "WOOO!"

The horses were screaming, rearing, loosing it. The rain became loud.

Link followed behind their race and saw Millie disappear around the corner. The monster followed.

He came after and stopped.

The dark soul was standing alone in the hall when he turned the corner. Everything was grey. Maybe blue.

Millie was no where to be seen. She seemed to have gotten away.

It's nonexistent eyes scanned the different stalls. Link stayed still. Besides the horses on the fritz, everything was placid and quiet.

The stall to its right. That's the one it destroyed. Threw its mangled hand inside the door as if it was made of thin paper. It tore it to shreds. Out came Millie in its claws. It dragged her out. She had been hiding in there with her back against the stall door.

The horse that was inside, already spooked, bolted out of the stall. It was Link's beast, the ink colored stallion. It seemed even larger under a roof.

As it turned to run down the hall, the dark soul gripped its back leg as if it were a small dog, as if it were nothing, as if its ankle was the width of a pencil, as if it could actually grip that ankle and keep hold of that ankle.

The horse fell. It actually fell over. The dark soul was the size of a man and it managed to trip that thing.

_THUD. _The stallion hit the floor. Link almost thought the ground had trembled. It missed Millie by an inched. She began to scramble away.

The dark soul killed the stallion by ripping it's throat to shreds and cracking its neck in between its jaws. It happened in an instant. Millie was only a few feet away by the time it was finished. The dark soul even had time to take a handful out of the stallions neck and smear the flesh and blood over its white, masked face before it tackled her once more. Third worst thing.

She began to scream again as it ran its claws over her body up and down. Up and down. Horse blood soon stained her belly. It brought its jaw close to her face and let her stare down its throat.

The more it touched her, the more her scream broke into a whimper. She wept 'get off me' and 'don't touch me' but not loudly enough for her to mean it. Its saliva was on her thighs. Too much.

Link couldn't stand such a sight. Such a revolting thing shouldn't touch her.

"Leave her alone!" he hollered from the end of the hall. "I'm the one you want! Right?!" He was about to lunch forward and pry the monster off of her. But he didn't need to.

It turned. Millie squirmed out of its gripped and disappeared behind the corner. She left bloody footprints behind. It stood up and stared at him for a moment.

The second it open its mouth to scream Link bolted in the other direction. Not because of fear. He wasn't scared of it. Not really. It seemed to be kind to him, it stared at him but never touched. It was a coward, a passive aggressive coward. But he still ran away.

He didn't hear it follow him around the corners and down the halls. In the field he couldn't see. The rain was clouding his senses, he felt as if he were drowning. He lost his sense of direction and was forced to stop. He hated the rain and despised open fields.


	10. Chapter 10: Sinal

This was all too familiar. He was drowning again. In the center of the field, in-between the ranch and his home. He didn't know this, of course. He didn't know where he was anymore. He couldn't see anything but the rain, he couldn't hear anything but the rain. He should've kept running but he had to stop. He was forced to stop. He lost his sense of direction. He couldn't keep running. Not in rain like this. He didn't know which way the ranch was, which way his house was, which way his shed of weapons was. He wasn't even sure the dark soul was still there, or if it was there at all. Maybe it wasn't. According to the stories drunks have passed down to generations, he should've been dead by that point.

He blinked and spit out the rain as he stared out into nothing. _Don't stop. It's following you. Keep going._

_...Where?_

A shape emerged out of the grey. He didn't notice at first. At first he was lost. Time began to race. He could feel it counting down. Every second he stood on top of that hill was multiplied by 10. This was all too familiar.

To him, there was nothing. The shape was behind him. He didn't notice at first. At first he was lost.

When he turned it was still just a shape to him. No features, just a darker color against the sky. It was a giant bat. Standing up and wings extended. The site hit him so hard he fell over. Too familiar.

_In the opposite direction of where it came from._

He didn't like the look of this giant bat. It seemed taller then it did before with him now on the ground. But somehow that seemed like the correct height. That's how he remembered it.

A glorious gleam of anger grew in his eyes. He wanted it to go away right then and there. Sitting in the rain wouldn't help that. So he scrambled to his feet and galloped off, like the ink colored stallion he could be. His hand was glowing but he didn't think twice about it.

It didn't take long for his house to show itself.

Open the shed, grab a weapon. He did so without blinking.

He then ran away from the ranch back to the shape. He tripped on the way, barely, and he survived.

The dark soul was in the same spot it had been. It fell to all fours and began to speak.

"She beat me," it said through the disgusting pitter patter. "I wanted to win."

"This all a game to you?" he asked as he approached.

It dipped its head to the side.

"You don't understand, do you?" The sword twinkled in the rain. He gripped it tight with his right.

"You've gotta nice face," it said to him in a new voice. A mix of voices. Like a disturbed signal through an old radio.

"Wish I could say the same...I still don't think you're real."

It looked down at the dead horse. "This is mine now." A child.

"No its not. That was my horse. You just killed it."

"No its mine. All of it."

"You're wrong. You own nothing," he stepped towards it again. "I own this ranch. I own these horses. You're just insane."

"I OWN EVERYTHING!" it screeched.

It became real. When it leapt forward and tackled Link to the ground it became real to him.

Heavy despite looking so frail. Hard despite its soft skin. Touching it was like touching a half decayed body or a wet plastic bag full of chicken bones. Everything was out of place, old, rotten, disgusting, revolting. But it was hard. Like metal. Beneath its wrinkled skin laid stone. It was heavy.

Link squirmed underneath it, the only thing keeping its snapping jaws away from his face was the blade of his sword. It brought down a claw and snagged the flesh on his neck. He could feel it guzzle out and down, trickling down his neck in a steady stream.

He threw it off him. It landed on all fours and let out another sharp wail.

Before either of them could attack, something denied Link the opportunity to kill it or even harm it. Something off in the distance diverted its attention immediately and flawlessly. It straightened itself like a dog that just heard the whistle of its master.

And gone it was. In no more than 15 seconds it disappeared into the rain sideways. Not towards the ranch or towards his home, towards nothing.

He brought his right up to his neck and held it there. The blood seeped through the leather and stained it forever.

* * *

><p>Link didn't enjoy being touched. Not by strangers, not by his friends, certainly not by monsters. Even when his horses brushed up against his skin he shivered.<p>

Understandably, he stiffened when Catherine suddenly hugged his drenched body the second he stepped into the back room. He didn't understand why anyone would want to hug someone so wet, or someone with a red, sticky neck. But she pressed herself against him anyway and ruined her shirt.

"Oh my gods," she muttered. "I thought you'd be dead."

Her eyes were wide when she pulled away from him and she gave him a nice long moment to look at them. Bright with an uncanny resemblance to an extremely unripe banana. Subtle and gorgeous.

This had happened a few moments ago from when Link was sitting at the in the back room, at this point relatively dry. A simple cotton bandage was taped to the side of his neck, which Catherine found inept. According to her, 'he would deny harm even if his head were cut off'.

He was staring at the stain his blood led behind on her blouse, right on her shoulder. He replayed the moment of their embrace in his head a couple times to distract himself from Millie sniffling in the far corner.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Richard asked Millie.

"I'm fine. It didn't lay a finger on me. I'm just a little shaken."

Link took a mental note that Millie lied about the dark soul touching her. He wasn't sure why that mattered.

By the looks of him, Jack seemed to be in deep thought. He was staring down at the table so perplexed it was like he was amazed by its brown color. The expression was so distinct and thoughtful Link didn't think Jack was intelligent enough to express it.

"Jack?"

The expression turned into a wide eyed innocent one. He raised his eyebrows like he expected a follow up question. Link just stared back. That was enough. It always was.

"It-it's not my place and I feel badly that this happened but...are you sure it was a dark soul?"

"Apposed to what?"

He shrugged. "A wolf?"

"You don't believe us? What about your war-hero uncle? You seemed to believe that bastard."

"I'm not saying they don't exist I just don't think one could have been in Castle Town."

"Why? Cuz of the wall? You know they can fly, right?"

"Apparently," he muttered bitterly.

Link scoffed. "A couple nights ago_ you _were the one who was so bent on the war restarting."

"First of all," Jack said with a raised finger. "I was drunk. Second, just cuz I think the war will start up again doesn't mean I believe a dark soul popped up randomly. Here of all places."

"It's not that random," Link murmured.

Jack looked at Link, then at Catherine, Richard, Nicholas, then dropped his head. He seemed ashamed or perhaps guilty that his opinion was met with such backlash, or maybe he was ashamed of being opinionated in the first place. It was silent for a moment. Even the rain had stopped.

"When are you leaving?" Richard asked Link.

"In the morning. At dawn, maybe. I doubt I'll get much sleep anyway."

"Will you come back?"

"Not for a while, I'm guessing. Maybe never."

"Oh my gods what the fuck is going on?!" Jack demanded, slamming his hand on the table. A few of them flinched. "I can't listen to this anymore. I may not be the brightest but that doesn't mean you have to make me feel so dull!"

Link frowned. "I just don't think telling you will help the situation."

"So you're admitting there's a situation?"

Link shared a glance with his entourage until he felt sure enough to speak. He decided Jack would know eventually and, if he was being honest with himself, he was eager to prove Jack wrong. Eager to see his reaction and take a note of it. "Um, so you know the legend?"

"Of Zelda? Yeah, what about it?"

"And you know how there's that hero-" he didn't like saying this aloud. He regretted his decision. "-that like..saves everyone?"

"Yeah..."

Obviously his suggestive expression and hand gestures weren't working. "You're gonna make me say it out loud aren't you?"

"Say what?"

"...I'm him."

Jack paused for a long time then smiled. "So you just...woke up this morning and decided to be the Hero of Legend?"

Link narrowed his eyes. "First of all, watch it. Second, I didn't decide anything." He took of his glove and showed Jack.

He stared at it without a reasonable reaction.

Link's temper began to flare up. "So do you believe me now?"

He saw a change in Jack. To him, this worker used to just an innocent, kind fool. Crude and brash at times, sure, but he never meant harm. But at this moment he turned bitter.

"How do I know you didn't do that to yourself?"

Link had to double check he heard that correctly. "What?"

"I'm just saying a mark on someone's skin is just a mark. This is the third one I've seen. You could have easily done that to yourself."

"How?"

"Burn it in with heated iron, carved it in with a knife."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Some people do it for the worship aspect. Some do it for the look. And there are other reasons."

"Like what?"

"Jack," Catherine whispered. "Don't."

"No, let him answer."

Jack scratched the table with his finger nail. "You probably did it to watch yourself bleed or something along those lines. I don't really understand it so I won't talk about it like I do," he looked down at it. "Why you're waving your scar around is a mystery to me."

Link couldn't believe his ears. He didn't even recognize this person. This jerk. He had never heard Jack speak so cruelly, so intensely or accuse anyone of anything. "How dare you?"

Jack suddenly looked lost, like he woke up from a dream. "I-uh-"

"How _dare _you?! Not believing the legend is one thing but accusing me of hurting myself is crossing the line! You don't know anything about me! Don't pretend like you do!"

His expression was a perfect blend of confusion and a broken heart. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. I-I just don't understand, I guess. It's hard for me to-"

"I don't give a shit if it's 'hard' for you! How do you think I feel?!"

"Link I-"

"Get out! Get out before I hurt_ you_!"

* * *

><p>The next morning he slept alone and went to the castle alone. He refused any offers of company. He wouldn't have easy access to it soon, so he figured he should get used to not having it.<p>

He did find Catherine's offer tempting, however.

She caught him right before he left the ranch and embraced him once again, this time tighter and for longer.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"I'll be fine."

She pulled away from him and stared at him a moment. He half believed she was about to cry. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither. You'll be safe here. Never leave, okay? Promise me that."

"I promise." She reached out and placed her fingers on his chest. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"I'll do what I have to, nothing more, nothing less."

She inhaled as if she had something else to say but abandoned it the same time her complexion flushed.

"Wish me luck," he muttered and turned to leave.

"Wait, Link," she grabbed his arm. "Stop by before you leave for good. Please."

She gave his arm a squeeze before she released it. He wasn't sure why she needed him to come back when they had already said their goodbyes, but something about the way she said it made him excited to find out.

* * *

><p>The halls seemed awfully empty to her, she'd even call them lonely. It wasn't unusual for her wing of the castle to be quiet, gods forbid the princess be disturbed. But the moment she opened the door of her bedroom, she could sense the stillness in the air. Not even a servant doing a morning sweep. When she stepped outside her room, her foot hit something metallic. She looked down and saw that her supper dishes, which she left outside her bedroom to be collected, were still there, untouched. There were plenty explanations to this: the maid made a mistake, she woke up too early, the maid service was behind. But this coupled with this feeling in her gut could not be a coincidence. To rid herself of these suspicions, she made her way calmly to the west wing. There was not a soul or sound on the way. Even her footsteps were quiet.<p>

There's a place in the castle that she loved. An enclosed bridge that connected the her wing to the main castle grounds. On each side of this bridge were tall, brilliant windows that lit the hallway with beautiful natural light. Outside the windows she could see the inner gardens of the castle and even the training grounds if she stood on her toes and made the effort to peer out over the west wing. This bridge made her feel peaceful and content, but when she turned the corner and approached the entrance of the bridge, she was horrified. The windows were all shattered, the hallway was covered with glass shards. She stepped out onto the hallway and could hear and feel her shoes crush the glass as she walked. She looked down at the gardens. Empty. She looked out towards the training grounds. Also empty.

In the main castle wing she came across her father's quarters. She knocked. Nothing. She attempted to open the massive doors. Locked.

She continued on her quest for human life and soon came across the throne room. It's doors were wide open. She looked in and again was horrified. Thousands of glass shards were sprawled across the floor, basically covering it in a thick coat. They twinkled in the natural light, emanating a spectrum of colors. She looked up. The beautiful stain glass windows that usually laid far above their heads were destroyed. She bent down and picked up a shard. It was a fragment of a sage's face.

She wrapped her hand around it and gripped it so tightly blood began to seep through the cracks in her fingers.

She woke up to a banging on her door. "Princess!"

She sat up in her bed, dazed. She heard sounds of chaos from outside her room, the clanking of metal armor, footsteps, commands.

The banging was so violent and urgent she didn't have time to dress herself in her proper attire. She managed to slip on a simple silk gown and opened the door.

A guard stood there, controlled panic in his eyes, with a group of soldiers behind him. A few servants were rushing around them. She stepped out and immediately kicked something metal. She looked down to see her supper plates in ruins.

"We have orders to escort you to your father's side."

Zelda nodded and followed them, taking note of her windows.

* * *

><p>A dollop of cream. Thick, whipped cream. Perched on the little swing handcrafted by a shaky handed artisan.<p>

This dove, a traditional pet and decoration for well-do families, stole longing glances at Link from inside it's hanging cage. He looked at it only once.

The little white bird seemed of little importance compared to the mass of soldiers and guards that were escorting Link into the thrown room. He didn't think three little triangles could cause such commotion, such tension in the air. Each of the soldiers' eyes were wide and alert, like they were in a daze and couldn't believe what was happening. Why was he such bad news?

He was expecting to see the princess sitting in the thrown waiting for him, but instead he saw her father. This expectation was most likely due to the association of her name with the legend. He should've known better. He wasn't sure who he preferred.

It didn't matter. The moment he stopped before the king, the princess showed up by his side. There was obviously a room or passage way behind the throne, but for a split second, Link believed it was magic.

She wouldn't look at him. She kept her eyes wandering; it was as if she was checking her room for spiders. _Look at me! _He, for some reason, he was expecting more of a reaction, a silent hello perhaps.

After a split-second of staring at the side of her head, he fell to one knee, suddenly remembering proper regimens. The colored light from the stain glassed windows, which were decorated with pictures of the seven sages, fell onto his back and turned his hair auburn.

The king cleared his throat. "What brings you to my castle, young worker?"

Link stayed silent for at least 15 seconds then looked towards Zelda. _You know what's happening. You could say something._

Zelda suddenly flinched. "Father-"

"Are you going to speak? You have interrupted the royal commissions and have caused my daughter much stress. My main adjutant seemed to have trusted your claim, otherwise you have no authority or credential."

He cleared his throat, his eyes locked on the ground. "I-"

He was interrupted by a violent and loud squawk from the dove. He glanced over it and opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted again.

It cried out loudly and flapped it wings. It threw itself around the cage, as if trying to break out.

Link glanced back and forth between the bird and Zelda. She was watching it as well. Along with her father. Everyone was watching it.

Then Link's hand began to burn like the other day. He grimaced and gripped his wrist as a mild glow appeared below his glove.

Zelda than looked at him coldly. He frowned and tucked his hand under his arm.

The bird made so many jerk movements the cage began to sway. Back and forth. Back and forth. It was almost memorizing and uncanny, the way the cage swung in the light of the window.

Nobody moved. Nobody said anything. They just watched the bird.

Eventually the once beautiful white bird collapsed on the floor of the cage, dead. Dead from it's tiny heart racing and the beating it gave itself.

It was silent after that. It was a gruesome display, and a confusing one at that.

The silence continued, along with glances between the guards and knights. The air was thick with tension that such a small bird created. There was something so disturbing about the bird's movements, as if the bird was suddenly driven into insanity.

Then, the silence was shattered along with the elegant, tall stain glass windows.

Link covered his head to protect himself from the shards, which fell everywhere and one everyone. The walls vibrated in suddenly movement, and the room was alive with noise and excitement. Dark figures flew threw the every window, but went unnoticed by the cowering humans below. Amongst the chaos, someone pulled Link to his feet. Zelda was by his side. Through the shards, he could see her eyes. Terrified and urgent. She ran back to the stage, leading Link with her. He followed her willingly. Before he knew it, they were behind the stage, hidden behind a small door.

She opened the door a crack. The thrones blocked his vision, but Link could just see the scene.

The smaller, finer glass remains floated down like sparkling, multicolored snow. When the air grew relatively still, heads lifted and saw 7 dark souls, crouching silently on either side of the carpet. Link could see three. Two were strangers, one had an all too familiar white face and toothy grin. The site infuriated him. His monster.

It looked at him, suddenly. Past the stage, through the door crack and into his eyes. It lifted a finger to its mouth, telling Link to be quiet. He felt a shiver shoot down his spine.

The other dark souls were dead still, some crouching, some standing, some on all fours, grey skinned and disgusting. Veins corded through every inch of their skin.

This stillness was the same disturbing stillness Link experienced with his own monster. Instead they just stared at the humans with hungry, pitch black eyes.

A soft whimper was heard in the crowd. One of the dark souls, a stranger, lifted its head, like an animal, and stared at a young nobel woman. It remained still as stone for a few seconds, before its lip slowly lifted into a snarl, exposing sharp yellow teeth.

The woman clamped her hand over her mouth and froze. Link moved his head slightly and recognized her immediately. Lady Ellington. The unruly dark soul then began to slowly move towards her, a low growl growing in its throat.

A low whistle echoed through the shadows. The monster stopped. "Not yet," a sickly voice said.

All heads turned to see who the voice belonged to. No matter how much Link adjusted his view, he could not see.

"Shame to ruin her dress," the voice said.

The guards and knights, all at once, drew their swords.

The voice burst out in laughter. It was so high pitched and young it almost sounded like a new voice all together. This person must be insane. "Please, please, this is serious matter. Don't make me laugh."

The guards and knights stood frozen in place. They looked mortified.

It suddenly turned towards the king. "Ah, your highness. You have done an excellent job at keeping this war a secret. Keeping this struggle between sanity and insanity unknown to your beloved Hylians, praying that your precise hero will arrive. But, I;ve grown. Ah, I'm only a few years old, yet I've accomplished so much.

There was a reason my kind could not defeat yours. It was because of those fucking sages. And because I wasn't there! As long as those sages exist, the good emanating from those sacred grounds- I don't think I need to explain it to you." This stranger sighed. Link imagined he rolled his eyes as well. "Now that the hero has risen and all that, the peace will be restored and the sanity of the people will maintain through hope and humanity.

But, if the sages themselves were to be driven to insanity, to fear, to mental collaspe, insanity will curse every mind in this land, no longer protected by your petty legends and gods and sages and triforces. My, that's a rather fine idea. And now, there is a way to drive those pure souls to insanity. _Me._

If you think I'm ahead of myself, I should mention that I've already accomplished this for some of the sages, two I believe, right?"

"Yes," a feminine voice said. That couldn't have been a dark soul. That answer was too sane.

"Your really letting this war get out of hand, aren't you, your highness? Do you see my pets? My brothers? They are insane. Human souls mentally and physically tortured for years and years until all the goodness was drained out of them and only hatred and mental illness were left. A pure concentrated soul of hatred and fear. Hatred and fear for their own lives, their own fears, their own diseased minds. But, we dark souls are not that different from you humans. In fact, this ability to be evil, to be insane, is in all of you humans," as he spoke, he walked across the room to the bird, which he picked out of the cage.

"In every human mind, there's a...trigger. A snap that causes you to loose your mind, loose your sanity, loose your balance of wright and wrong. Why, there's evil existing in every human in existence. Whether it's a man beating his wife or a serial killer bound on killing women who look like his mother. In every human mind, there is something, a gear waiting to be turned, to be activated. Such a fragile thing, the human mind. So easily corrupted. My name is Sinal and I am the trigger."

He threw the bird into the mouth of a dark soul, that devoured it in seconds.

"And I'm going after the sages, I'm going after your people...He's here, isn't he?"

"I don't know who you're referring to," the king said carefully.

"He's here. But that's no matter. I came here to gloat. I'm here to tell you that there is no point in trying. You are losing this war. Your hero took too long. The land is already suffering...I hope you enjoy this lovely castle. I apologize for your windows. They were stunning."


	11. Chapter 11: The Fire

**_Chapter 11: The Fire_**

"What's happening?"

"I'll explain what I can in time."

"Where are we going?"

"We have to leave. Now. It's not safe."

"Where? The castle?"

"It's not safe anywhere, not anymore."

Link felt glass crunch under his feet as he followed Zelda through an enclosed sky bridge. All the windows were shattered. "And this Sinal...?"

"I'll explain later. We'll leave through the west wing."

He had to take her word on that. There were no more dark souls to be seen, but there were people. Up and down the halls, crying, shouting orders, running into each other. He had never seen so many in one place, they reminded him of the herds of mice in the ranch that scattered when they were disturbed in the slightest manner.

Zelda weaved her way through the chaos effortlessly, leaving Link to fend for himself. After he called out for her assistance, she tugged him along like he was a toddler. He could already tell he would not get along well with her.

They made their way through the castle together, avoiding questions. Almost every other guard asked Zelda if she was okay, if she needed an escort, if she needed help. She didn't respond to any of them.

They left out a small, almost secret door on the far side of the castle. All that laid in front of it was wall. Outside, the air was still, as if nothing had happened. Zelda immediately darted to the side.

"Where are we going?" Link asked as he followed her through the gardens. The ball decorations were still up. She ducked in and out of large tents.

"Sinal didn't come here just to brag. He came for a reason..."

"What reason is that? Me?"

"I don't know."

Link stopped. "Do you smell smoke?"

She didn't respond. She just turned the corner.

"_What is that?!_"

He turned the corner and immediately felt his stomach drop in horror. "Oh no."

The ranch was on fire.

* * *

><p>Link had a nightmare about this twice in his life. In both times he imagined his workers and the horses burning to death. He never heard their screams though. The disaster was always silent.<p>

Now, however, he heard them the moment they left the castle's inner wall; the screams.

These nightmares always had that petty, frivolous human sentiment of frustration. Fear, grief and horror seemed to take a back seat. He would be so close to saving someone, but for some cruel reason, he was physically unable, just inept enough to let them burn to death.

The screams grew louder as he and Zelda approached on horse back, and Link felt his eyes glaze over like they had when he first saw his mark. Catherine wasn't there to snap him out of it this time. Zelda's elaborately designed dress became a smudgy, blurry mess. The fire was a soft glow, like that of a lantern. He knew this was a dangerous state, as if he was extremely intoxicated or under the influence of a strong medication. But it was difficult to refuse its comfort.

Soon, the crumbling of the ranch gate took Catherine's place. He no longer needed her. Large fragments of it fell in front of Epona and her reaction woke Link up. His vision sharped and he finally heard words amongst the screams. 'Help!' they cried. 'We're dying!'

A horse with a patch of fire on its rear ran by him. That was his horse. All of them were his horses. He owned them. He owned the ranch. All of his possessions were being burned to the ground, every thing he knew, every _one _he knew.

"Wait!" Zelda snapped as he ran inside. He ignored her. What would he had, if the little he had was taken away from something as heartless and thoughtless as a fire?

He couldn't see anything but orange for a good 30 seconds. That was, until, he saw his favorite.

"Catherine!"

She stood 20 feet away from him.

"Catherine, don't move, I'm co-"

"Link, run away!"

He was dreaming now, he was sure of it. He had to be. "….What?"

"Link run away, don't look back!"

"Ca-" he began to cough like he was twice his age and had been in the fire for twice as long.

"We'll be fine!" Another voice. Richard's. He turned and saw his good friend stumbling out of the east wing, Millie under his left arm.

"We'll be okay," Millie squeaked. He couldn't see her eyes through the smoke. "Keep you hand covered. We'll be alright."

To him, their words were a demonic chant.

"Let me help you!" he begged. "I want to stay this time."

The second he took a step towards them, they all burst into angry cries. "Link, GO! RUN! You need to go now! NOW!"

"I…" his eyes glazed over again. He couldn't make out their faces. He was just in a room with orange walls with no windows open. He was swaying. He couldn't hear anything, he couldn't see anything, he couldn't feel anything.

"I burned this," a familiar voice said.

Link's senses returned in an instant and he turned to see his monster.

"You did this?" he asked it in a raised voice. He could feel anger brewing, surprised it took this long.

The dark soul shook its head. "My father did."

"Your father?"

Then, to Link's right, a figure appeared deep within the flames. It was like a statue, no movement, no expression, no life. Link knew it was Sinal.

Link stared back at him for a good 20 seconds and noted how horrifying the sight was. All the horrors of death and the hell and decay that comes with it, these horrors that the living work so hard to prevent, ignore and disguise, only took up his toothy grin. The rest of this monster's complexion was beyond human comprehension, for some horrors were a mystery to the living and were left, fortunately, unknown.

Link had forgotten about the fire and was soon reminded. He began to cough.

"LINK!"

Zelda appeared, Sinal and his monster had disappeared.

"We need to go!" Zelda grabbed his arm and began to lead him out.

"But-"

"Your workers are fine!"

"You're lying!"

"Link, we have to go. Sinal's just trying to mess with your head. If you stay here, you'll die. If the flames don't kill you, he will."

"I can't run away," he pulled against her.

"You have to! You're not ready to fight!"

The west wing suddenly collapsed into a sparky, ashy pile. They both flinched.

"We need to leave NOW!"

Epona galloped into sight and put on a display, rearing and whining. Link grabbed her reins and halted her. He would never let his horse burn. Her mind was so simple, bless her for that. He leapt onto her back.

Zelda swatted her rump to send her galloping off. Away from his home.

* * *

><p>Link only spend 2 minutes outside of the ranch, watching it burn. Zelda on top of a random stallion had joined his side after a minute and a half.<p>

"Sinal could still be here," she told him.

He didn't respond.

"We should leave. I know where to go."

She cantered off down the street. Link followed. He didn't want to look at his ranch anymore. In the corner of his eye, he saw his workers huddled safely outside the ranch. He didn't see Catherine or Jack.


	12. Chapter 12: The Field

**Editing in process, chapter not complete (being re-written)**

Chapter 12: The Field

It was the first time Link had left castle town in years. To a third party, this may be a sad fact. To Link, however, the thought didn't even cross his mind. He knew little about what lied beyond those walls, and to him, that was perfectly fine. If he ever considered the possible good beyond those walls, he justified himself by recalling how comfortable his life was and it would be ridiculous to abandon it for no reason. Plus, it was such a hassle leaving. The royal system prevented most commoners from leaving without reason. Zelda, however and of course, just strolled through.

He never knew how thick the outer wall was. It must have grown last time he had laid eyes upon it.

He didn't get along with Zelda. It had only been a few minutes, but he could tell their personalties didn't match up well. It was on him, he knew that, he knew he was accustomed to two categories of those around him; they were either pushovers he could politely dominate or obnoxious lowlives that he could treat poorly with just. Zelda was neither of these things.

"I'm sorry….About your ranch," she said once they were traveling alone in silence.

"So am I."

The truth was he had already forgotten.

"Sinal was sending a message," Zelda said next. She wanted to discuss it, but he would rather just ride in silence. After she stared at him for a few moments, he was forced to respond.

"Message received, I suppose."

"I know he was just trying to prove his strength...but it still seems wrong to just…flee like that. To just leave him there with his crime. Why didn't he kill you when he could, I wonder?"

Link shrugged. "He must be a coward."

"He's trying to scare you."

"I'm not scared," he said after a long moment of thought. "I'm angry."

She didn't respond to that.

* * *

><p>The field was barren, empty, disturbing. Every blade of grass that appeared to be green at one point was now brown with decay. The castle clearly did not spend a single rupee on it's upkeep.<p>

He took a breath. "And now we're…?"

She didn't respond, instead she continued to travel ahead of him in silence and sternness.

He bit the inside of his lip in frustration.

"Zelda," he repeated. "Where are we now?"

"Hyrule field."

The wind howled in his ear, the only sound beside their occasional voices. The clouds above their heads were thin and scarce, accompanied by harshly toned dark sky. Dust rose with every step their horses took.

"Keep your voice down," she said softly to him, even though he wasn't speaking.

She then stopped on top of the hill after a few moments. "You've….never been outside of the Castle region, have you?"

"No, I haven't. The opportunity never came my way."

"Well," she said as he approached her side. "You're in for a treat."

Around him Link saw dense forests, daunting mountains, and beyond the fields and deserts, he saw a beach, cliffs, and a vast ocean. The land was almost challenging him with it's immensity. Threatening him with eerie wind and darkened spaces.

"Wow," he breathed thickly. "A lot of…space."

She nodded. "Do you feel that…darkness….?"

"Yes." _Not really._

"Look at the difference in light," she lifted her thin wrist and gestured towards the darkened forests and lightened mountain tops. He just assumed that was the shadows of the mountains or the many clouds. He thought nothing more of it.

He just stared at her, waiting for her to say more.

"Our land is separated into 7 regions, as you know. 6 are protected by the sages and the seventh is protected by our royal blood and my Triforce of wisdom…Sinal is attacking the sages and destroying the temples that give our land life….we have to stop him before he destroys all 7."

"How'd Sinal get into the castle then?"

"I'm not sure. He's...new..

Dark souls still have the ability to climb our walls, but we out number them and an attack would be worthless, I'm assuming Sinal knows that. They are attacking the smaller, weaker regions first….As you know, we pushed back the dark soul forces years ago, thanks to the seven sages and the army.

When they first rose, they were defeated and forced to leave our land of sanity into their own, personal hell, where they belong. But now, because of this new threat Sinal poses, the sages are in danger. Dark souls are every where.

He is working quickly against us. And soon-"

"Wait, how long has this been going on?"

"Three years."

"We've been in war for three years?! When were you planning on telling the public?!"

"We had it under control under Sinal-"

"Oh, I'm sure you did!"

"Remember who you're speaking to!"

"It's war, your highness! There's the insane and the sane, no in-between, no other degree of separation!"

"Well, the sane should at least treat each other nicely and save the bitterness for the insane," Zelda said coldly before continuing on her own path, expecting Link to follow.

As he did, he wondered why this new threat was kept a secret. Perhaps to keep spirits up and to keep the darkness out of the Castle region. Perhaps the terrified minds of the people would be more vulnerable to Sinal. He deemed these reasons not sufficient.

He thought of this instead of the ranch.

"I suggest we travel to the first region," Zelda said next. "Step one."

One step at a time, one question at a time. "And that is?"

"The Forest."


	13. Chapter 13: The Forest

**Chapter 17: The Forest**

"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!" Zelda scoffed as he and her traveled along the mountain path, the forest below them.

Link stared over the side of the cliff, feeling his knees weaken and his weight tip. He felt as if his feet would suddenly betray and he would easily topple off the edge. He snapped his attention away from the daunting distance between him and the ground and back to Zelda. "I'm not afraid of heights," he began. "I just don't like them."

Zelda smirked and continued down the rock side. "Come on, hero. Pick up the pace."

He looked back down at the small trees, not being able to fully break his stare. It was almost memorizing, the feeling of weightlessness and the incredible sight of the forest below.

"LINK!"

"Sorry," he murmured and followed Zelda along the path.

The birds chirped below and small monkeys hoped happily from branch to branch. Ripe fruit hung from almost every other branch, red and inviting to the inhabitants of the forest. Every sound, every movement echoed life. He believed he had never seen anything like it before, maybe in a distant memory or a dream.

"This forest seems alright to me," Link commented, searching for more information. "Doesn't seem like Sinal did much damage." Sinal's horrific threat was enough to make Link think the monkeys would be dead and those fruits would be black.

"Remember at the Castle, when Sinal said some sages were hidden? The sages that represent the Triforce, the strongest ones, are protected. Their memories are lost and as far as we know, they are living normal lives, protecting their three regions with out even knowing it. I thank the gods everyday for that….

The forest, water and fire regions are not cursed with insanity because of this. Instead, these temples will serve as a test. A test for you, the hero. You must conquer these three temples in order to fulfill your place as the legendary hero, and then, with the power and sword you've gained, you will be able to restore the four regions that are under Sinal's spell and kill him once and for all."

He was silent for a moment. _A test for you, the hero. _He took a breath and calmed himself, trying to ignore the immense weight being put on his shoulders.

"How do you know all of this?"

"My father used to tell me war stories from a few years ago. That and the Legend itself has given me plenty of knowledge."

"So, the legend is real?"

"Of course! Are you not faithful?"

"It's just hard to believe."

"It won't be."

"…..What happens if those three regions and temples are taken over by Sinal?" he asked the question dryly, not really longing for the answer sincerely. The questions he really wanted to ask were buried deep and he knew even Zelda wouldn't have the answer.

"I'm not sure. I don't know what will happen to the three temples, sages and regions. But hopefully that won't happen. Hopefully we will stop Sinal before it does. For now, we must focus on getting your sword and completing your Triforce so you can restore the land."

"Seems simple enough."

Zelda's face suddenly tightened, as if she remembered something or a thought crossed her mind. Her eyes went blank in thought.

"Zelda?"

"Nothing."

As they finally exited the mountain trail into a small clearing, the immense forest laid before them.

"The temple's in there?" Link asked.

"Yes…" she glanced down at her embroidered leather reins. "Here is where your courage will be tested.

She kicked her horse into motion again and he followed close behind, watching her golden braid sway back and forth. He focused on her strands of hair instead of the tasks that were laid before him.

* * *

><p>The forest was dark, dense, beautiful. The leaves were stained with the sun's rays and Epona snorted with pleasure as a thousand smells filled her nostrils. Link leaned down and patted the neck of his beloved horse. She heaved a breath, tired from the tread through the mountains and the intense gallop across Hyrule field. At the sound of her breath, he immediately got off of her and began to walk beside her.<p>

"What are you doing?" Zelda asked him the second his feet hit the soft soil of the forest.

"She's tired."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him, as if his actions were odd, then took a breath and got off her own pure white steed. Her heeled leather boots sunk into the ground but she did not react.

"Which way?" he asked her reluctantly, almost not wanting to find the temple at all. Maybe Sinal was right. Maybe he has no idea what he's in for.

She pulled out a map from her horse's saddle bag. "The temples lie hidden in these grounds."

His eyes narrowed. "…This forest is huge…How are we supposed to find it?"

"Be calm, young hero," she said in her rich, pure voice. It struck him as odd that she used the word 'young' when they were around the same age. "The temple will reveal itself to us."

He looked ahead at the immense of trees, unconvinced by her purposely eloquent words. _The temple will reveal itself to us?_

He wished Zelda would talk to him normally, instead, it sounded like she was repeating the words of the gods written out for her in the Legend of Zelda, like she was reading a script.

"It will be difficult, yes. But if we can find Kiorki village, perhaps we will come across some luck?" she might as well asked the air.

"Kiorki village?"

"It's a village not far from her, they have inhibited this forest for ages. They are bound to hold some secrets that will lead us to the temple."

"Alright."

They walked in silence for a while then, not wanting to break the peaceful silence they had created. Link forced himself to focus on mundane things, the breeze, his horse, the animals around him, even his own footsteps. Anything but Sinal and the tasks before him. Anything but his destroyed life.

* * *

><p>The fire flickered loudly as Link and Zelda sat on either side of it. Link stared into the flames and did nothing else.<p>

The flames then turned disturbing. They were dancing too gayly, they were laughing at him. He got three hours of sleep that night and nothing more.

He woke up to the sound of a child crying.


	14. Chapter 14: Bo

**Editing in process, chapter being re-written**

**Chapter 14: Bo**

He was certain he had heard a child crying. He had left Zelda to sleep, in case his mind was tricking him, and wandered the forest alone.

He followed his unreliable senses until he came across a a small opening in the side of the rock cliff. Once he crouched down and peered into the crevasse, he found he was right. There was a young girl huddled in the corner. It was clear she had been crying.

"Hello," Link said.

No answer.

He adjusted himself, assuming he'd be there for a while. It dawned on him that he had never spoken to a child before. Not solely with one child.

"What's your name?"

No answer.

_Great. _Intentions set aside, this child was his responsibility now.

"Mine's Link."

She looked up from that special thought on the floor. "Luke?"

"I wish. No, it's Link. Like a link in a chain."

"Why is that your name?"

"No idea. Ask my mother."

"Mine's Bo."

"Like a bow and arrow."

"Yeah."

"Why are you in there?"

"I'm lost."

"I'm sorry."

She began to cry.

Link winced. "Uh, but it's alright! I can help you find your way home if you come out."

Bo sniffed again and turned away. Link held out a hand but she immediately moved further into the cave, like a cornered animal. It was then Link noticed the small horse toy she was gripping tightly. "You know what? I have a horse," he said. The girl looked up. He smiled. "She's a really pretty horse. I'll let you pet her but you have to come out of there."

Bo looked back at him with big round eyes. "My ma told me not to talk to strangers."

Link sighed, realizing how his beckoning sounded wrong and the child was smart not to say yes.

"That's ok. You don't have to come out right now." He sat down against the cliff wall.

"Link?!" Zelda's voice rang through the trees. He found this almost irritating. He had only been gone for 20 minutes.

"Here!"

"W-…What are you doing?"

"Shhh," he held a finger to his lips and gestured her over.

After Zelda saw Bo, she immediately frowned.

"Who's this?" she asked in a taut voice.

Bo stared at her and smiled slightly at the sight of her gown and jewelry.

"This is my friend," Link began. "She's a princess. Pretty, isn't she?"

Bo nodded.

"Hi," Zelda said softly. "Can you come out of there, sweetie?"

"I don't know where my ma is," she repeated.

"Well," Zelda glanced at Link for a moment. "We'll be able to find her."

Link silently warned her to not make promises she couldn't keep.

"We'll help you find her," he corrected. "But you have to come out."

Bo hesitated, before giving her toy horse a confident squeeze, and crawling out of the cliff side.

The moment she was outside, she allowed Link to pick her up.

"Where's the horse?" she asked and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

* * *

><p>Bo giggled as Link held her up to Epona's snout to pet.<p>

She was a sweet girl.

Zelda was leaning against her own noble horse, looking at the map yet another time.

"Link, come here," she gestured him over.

He set Bo down and walked over.

As Zelda showed him the markings of Kiorki village, Bo began to examine the bounty of flowers growing near by. She picked up a beautiful white lily stained with violet, stumbled over to Zelda, and it stuck it upwards to her.

She smiled brightly and accepted the gift. "What's this?"

"A flower. My sister told me it makes boys like girls more."

Link narrowed his eyes, thinking it would be the other way around. "Huh?"

"Pheromones," Zelda said with a slight smile, obviously familiar with the type of lily. "It-"

She stopped and glanced down at Bo.

"Makes boys like girls more," she said, censoring herself. Link could smell the sweetness of the flower, even though it was a fair distance away from him, and immediately his blood began to warm.

"This is a very rare flower. Thank you, Bo." Link caught himself watching Zelda's pink lips forming her words and moved his eyes towards the ground, and kept them there.

Bo nodded and smiled, oblivious to the actual properties of the flower. She then frowned and tugged on the fabric underneath the expensive cloth of her gown.

"Can we find my ma now? I wanna go home."

"Where's your home?" Zelda asked sweetly, her voice sounded richer and prettier to Link than before.

"Kiorki."

"Can you show us where that is?" She crouched down to let Bo look at the map. Link watched her.

"Um," Bo's untrimmed eyebrows furrowed until she smiled suddenly. "This map is old, silly! Kiorki was moved!"

"Moved?!"

Bo giggled. "That's the old village. The new one is by a river."

"The river? Oh, okay. Wow, Bo, you helped us a lot."

"Really?"

"You're very smart, aren't you?"

Bo laughed bubbly as Link lifted her up in his arms once again. He held her so she was facing behind him and then mouthed to Zelda,

'Get rid of that flower.'

It took her a moment before raising her eyebrows and smirking. She then tossed the flower into the forest.

'Happy?'

He gave a half smile and carried Bo to Epona, who she happily rode for the rest of the ride.


	15. Chapter 15: Mean Boy Johnny

The village was peaceful, charming. Simple and humble cottages were sprawled across the clearing, a gentle stream cutting through the middle. Dogs barked, children played, and the woman washed clothing by the water side.

Link kept his head down, this site disturbed him.

"Ma!" Bo practically leapt out of Link's arms when a comely woman approached them, arms outstretched.

"Bo! Sweetie, where were you?!"

"We were playing and we went exploring and we thought we saw a wolf so I hid in the rock cliff and they didn't find me and then I got scared but then Link found me!"

"Oh, did he now?" the woman looked up at him and smiled sweetly. She looked like Bo, or perhaps Bo looked like her, with dark brown hair and eyes. She set Bo down.

"Go find your father sweetie, let him know you're alright." Once Bo bounded out of sight she placed a hand over her chest. "I tell you, that little thing's gonna give me a heart attack on day." Her eyes widened at Zelda and she dropped to a bow. "Your majesty, I apologize for not recognizing you earlier!"

Zelda gestured the woman off the ground. "No need. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you for finding her. I'm glad that she ended up in the hands of someone responsible. You never know these days."

Link's face softened at the thought of someone else finding Bo. "Do you mean dark souls?"

She laughed, which struck Link as odd. "Dark souls?! Here in the forest? No, I don't think so. Not since at least ten years ago, correct? In fact, we should keep our voices down; no need to scare the children."

Zelda and Link shared a look.

"Um, we just saw a da-"

Zelda interrupted Link with a fake laugh. "Of course!" her voice turned taut and stern; she spoke her next words slowly, and Link knew she was really speaking to him. "No need to scare the children. May I ask what happened to the old location of Kiorki village?"

The woman frowned and looked over her shoulder, as if to clarify that Bo wasn't listening.

"Not that I've been here long enough to tell this story, but the old Kiorki village was attacked by dark souls back during the war, what was it, 10 years ago?

All those poor children! Hard to imagine, isn't it? A random act of violence for the blood of _children_! The survivors came here, to Roanoke village, and we adopted Kiorki's name. Luckily, Hyrule's forces pushed the dark souls back long ago before they reached this place. But I don't want to go into details about a war that reached climax years ago. I'd rather love than fight. Excuse me."

She turned and left, leaving Link and Zelda alone by the village entrance.

"Seems like Castle Town isn't the only place left in the dark," Link growled.

"I'd at least expect the areas outside of the castle region to be aware. And don't blame me for that. Nobody expected their numbers to grow so quickly when the seal has served us well for ten whole years! Ten years of peace, I admit, allowed us to let our guard down. The war is escalating before our eyes, we're doing our best to keep everything in order! Keeping it a secret from the public was the protect moral and to avoid panic!"

"Ignorance is bliss, I suppose," he said bitterly.

"Come with me. We can find information here."

The village was beautiful, the sun's rays hit it through the canopies just right. Children rushed by their feet and pointed at them. The adults stared and bowed when they looked their way. There was one girl that caught Link's eye.

She was the only one staring at him and not Zelda. Her eyes were deep green, like the forest, bold against her olive skin. Her face was simply shaped with a soft yet skinny frame and a rounded nose. Her eyebrows tugged together as she saw him, as if she was deep in thought. Link did the same for a brief second before turning to Zelda.

"What exactly are we looking for?"

"The sage, preferably, but that seems impossible since the sage was at least eighty the last time I saw her, which was ten years ago. If she has passed away by this point, a new sage took her place-"

"And her/his identity is hidden?"

"Exactly."

"Excuse me?" a voice spoke behind them. An old woman who appeared to be in her sixties stood before them. "I believe I can held you find what you're looking for."

The Legend of Zelda, a dusty, large book, landed on the table with a thud, causing the wood to vibrate and dust to fly up.

Link stared at the book with wide eyes. "Uh…"

"The forest temple is known for being hidden among the deep forests," the woman began. "Finding it will be no easy task….it says here only the bearers of the Triforce can reach the hidden temple."

"….Is that it?"

"It also says in the laughter of children the temple is hidden."

"The old Kiorki village!" Zelda cheered, making Link flinch.

"Perhaps, yes. That makes some sense, doesn't it?"

Link shook his head. "But me and Zelda visited that spot multiple times, no temple."

"Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there."

After over analyzing every line about the forest temple in the Legend, Link and Zelda decided the only thing they could do was to travel back to the original Kiorki village location.

On their way out of the village, however, something strange happened to Link. He began to hear the sounds of children crying, disturbing, echoed wails that rang loud in his ear. He glanced around, seeing nothing but a peaceful setting.

That was, until, a horrific scene flashed before his eyes. The homes were destroyed, the river ran red with blood, and bodies were sprawled across the grass fields. The sky was grey, like the ground, with ash.

As soon as the image appeared to him, it was gone.

His heart began to race as he frantically looked around once more, only to find more peace and happiness.

"Zelda," he said, his voice shaken. "I..forgot something. Wait for me by the gate."

She narrowed her eyes but didn't ask.

Once she was gone, Link searched for Bo.

"Bo, do you think you could do me a favor?" Link asked as he crouched in front of her.

"Yeah!" she chirped.

"If you ever, ever see a dark soul, I want you to run away."

She frowned. "A dark soul? You mean those things in the song?"

"What song?"

She smiled and began to sing a nursery rhyme. "_Mean boy Johnny stole his sister's toy. Mean boy Johnny refused to be a good boy._

_Mean boy Johnny, went to the woods, alone, alone. Johnny, Johnny went to the woods, alone. Alone he saw a beast, a beast of human past. A beast with an sad, sad soul who took Johnny's soul and attacked._

_Never go into the woods alone, alone. Or the dark souls will get you, make you cry and break your bones.'_ "

Link swallowed. "….yes. Those. If you feel…like something's wrong with your village or if you every see…a monster. I want you to run away, okay? Run away and hide."

"Like in the cliff side?"

"Yes, like in the cliff side. It will be your safe place from now on, okay?"

"Okay. Will you come find me?"

He frowned. "I'll try Bo. But if I don't, try to find someone else. A human, another-….just remember to run and hide."

She nodded vigorously. "Okay Link."

Link stood up and walked away from the little girl, Zelda's voice ringing in his mind.

_No need to scare the children._


	16. Chapter 16: Voices in a Tunnel

**Chapter 16: Voices in a Tunnel**

"Can you imagine?" Zelda began as Link and her entered the old site of Kiorki village, which now was just a clearing with a large tree. "Dark souls attacking a place like this?"

To his horror, he could imagine it. The insane did not know the difference between murdering a man and an infant.

He didn't respond to her though, he didn't need to.

After a while of searching the area, Link's eyes fell across an odd boulder, that seemed separate from the rest of the cliff. Markings were carved into it, elaborate branches, trees, and symbols.

"Come look at this," he murmured and placed a hand against the cold stone. Zelda came up next to him and observed the carvings.

"Look!" she whispered and pointed at a carving made of a circle and three lines. "Foron's mark of courage!"

He had no idea who Foron was but he nodded. "How did we miss this the other times?"

"Take off your glove," Zelda commanded, ignoring his comment.

He hesitated, before slipping off his glove.

She took his bare hand in hers and pressed it against the stone. It was silent until she pressed her hand flat against his, her Triforce layering over his.

"Wh-"

"Shhh."

He watched their hands for a moment, before his eyes widened with wonder. Their Triforces began to glow, the same eerie glow that Link had seen before, but it was brighter, charming, happy.

The ground rumbled and the boulder seemed to break loose from the cliff. Link flinched, Zelda stayed perfectly still.

Link narrowed his eyes, placed his hand on the boulder and moved it to the side, revealing a dark tunnel in the cliff side. He peered inside, the darkness immediately enveloping him and his vision disappearing.

"Okay, that wasn't so bad," Zelda said casually behind him. "Off you go."

"Wait, what?"

"Go inside. Explore."

"I'm going in alone?"

"Yes. You are the hero."

"You…" he said, waving a finger at her, keeping his eyes in the tunnel. "Are very blunt."

"Just go inside."

"This is..." _Not real._

* * *

><p>He cursed to himself as he lost direction in the darkness. Darkness. Complete darkness.<p>

He heard a strange whisper and stopped dead in his tracks.

It was an echoed, scratchy voice.

It whisked by his ear again, louder, but the words still didn't make sense.

He whipped his head around, useless in the darkness.

It was silent for a tense, thick moment. He wasn't afraid, he was annoyed at this obvious test. Finally, as the memories of his ranch flooded back, he snapped,

"Come out, you fucking piece of-"

Something knocked into him, hard, slamming him against the wall of the cave.

It screeched inhumanly.

"A dark soul?!" he said angrily aloud as his face smashed against the stone.

"DARK SOUL!" it repeated like a maniac. "Darksouldarksouldarksoul!"

He threw his elbow back into the beast.

It cried a…human cry. It cried like a woman. In fact, there were many cries buried in it. Children, men, boys, girls. Screams and cries and aches.

It threw Link off and he paused in the darkness. "W-"

Then he felt something pierce his stomach. He cried out in pain.

"I have to, baby!" the dark soul said to him in an eerie, echoed wail of a woman. "I didn't mean it!"

He whimpered and reached for his sword as the dark soul pressed in deeper.

He threw it backward, slashing the dark soul down the middle.

"WHY?! Why baby, I loved you!" A different woman's voice. It sounds distant, like a voice does in a dream.

It began to die.

"Why are you hurting me?! I loved you!"

Link stopped, his sword raised in the air, ready to strike. He froze.

"I don't want to! I'm saying no! Stop!"

He listened to the feminine screams, off guard and intrigued.

"Help me! Gods, help me!"

He stared into the darkness. "What are you?" he asked, his voice level, taut, emotionless.

Now it just cried, a soft, feminine weep.

Link's eyes narrowed. He began to feel the fear and he realized what the dark soul was doing. An expert on mental illness. An insane human soul. He couldn't be afraid to kill it.

So he drew his sword downwards, feeling it dig into the flesh. It shrieked.

"I'm sorry, Gods, help me..."

It's feminine voice began to get deeper, deeper, until it died out with a final word.

"...Sorry..."

As it died, a boulder not far behind him began to move and light began to pour into the tunnel. The light lit up the dead dark soul, it's body black and covered with thick blood. He saw bare, darkened breasts on it, telling him it was female.

He stared at it briefly, not knowing there were female dark souls, before walking out of the tunnel, the forest temple in his view. The tunnel opened out into a secluded clearing, that seemed to be imbedded in the cliff, surround by stone. The only light source was a crack in the stone above, leaking in a beautiful ray of sunlight.

The temple was a large, ancient building with aged stone and towers covered with vines and vegetation.

Link's eyes veered downwards from the temple towards a immense and deep chasm in the ground, as if what he was standing on was a cliff. A rickety, dangerous looking bridge laid over the deepness, in between Link and his designation.

"Shit."


	17. Chapter 17: Courage

**Chapter 21: Courage**

_Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!_

Zelda's voice rang in his ear as he stepped out onto the first wooden board of the bridge, shaking. _Shut up Zelda. _

He took another step and another. Suddenly, the bridge moaned and he stiffened, biting his lip and sucking in air. He felt pathetic. _You are the hero. _

He took another step and another. Suddenly, a board under his foot snapped off the rope and tumbled to the depths, causing him to jolt forward and his knee slammed against the remaining wood. He gasped loudly and gripped the rope to the sides of the bridge so tight his knuckles were white. Below was nothing but stone sides and darkness.

He could feel the robe wobble, and the more he tried to keep it still, the more it wobbled. He calmed him self down and forced his fears deep down, finishing the bridge.

"I haven't even entered the temple yet," he murmured to himself once he was on solid ground.

He approached it, having to climb a set of long, flat stairs to enter. Inside it was dark, like a forest itself, only slightly illuminated with sunlight that peaked through the sky light in the ceiling. Plants, flowers, and bugs were sprawled across the ground, walls and air.

Spiders crawled everywhere, over pots, across the stone, even across his boots. He casually shook them off, only showing signs of disgust when he felt one crawl onto his neck.

He easily strolled up to the first door, no dark souls in sight, to find it locked. He pushed against the long, wooden doors impatiently.

_The gods do _**_want_**_ me to complete the temple, don't they?_

He looked behind his shoulder at the empty main room, wondering if there was a key. He wandered it and quickly began under covering things he missed the first time.

First, there were pots scattered in the corners that held dusty, aged rupees that he pocketed when he could. There was also old vials filled with common medicine and remedies, which he also took.

Second, once his pockets were filled to the brim, he noticed elaborate paintings on the walls. It showed fierce battle between monsters and knights, a glowing picture of the goddess, dark figures and faces, and in the center of it all, the hero. It was a simple painting, no facial features or details, just the bare minimum, yet somehow, it still looked like him. Something about the simple golden brown streaks of hair and the shape of the face reminded him of himself.

And then he felt his stomach church. He began to think about the legend and who he was and what he had to do and mostly, if he could. He wondered if the gods picked a soul at random or if he was destined to become the hero, or maybe he was a hero from the start. Was he even destined to succeed.

He ran his gloved hand over the painting and sighed. _This is insane. This is messed up. This is _**_fucked _**_up. _

He wish his thoughts were more controlled and mature, but he couldn't help it.

A spider, a long legged, brown spiky looking thing, crawled onto the back of glove that was pressed against the wall. He shook his hand, calmly at first, but when it dug it's hairs into the leather and stuck on, he ended up taking off the glove to avoid a bite.

Once his hand was bare and his glove was on the ground, the creepy pest still loitering on it, he was forced to look at the mark. His face twitched subtly as he observed the triangles, deep in thought. He glanced back at the paintings and placed his hand against the wall once more, feeling the need to have his bare skin against the smooth stone images.

Once he did so, the mark began to glow once again, and by this point, he had begun to get used to the pain. The glow illuminated the once dull paint and the images almost came alive. The colors became stronger and more contrasted. The yellow paint around the goddess turned into a virtuous, golden glow. The swords began to shine as well, as if they were actual metal. The hero's sword, which was raised to the sky, shown brightest, almost blinding.

He squinted at the light, not being able to see a small opening in the wall appearing with a rumble in the stone.

Once he did, there was a chest inside, but of course, it was out of reach. He let out a frustrated breath and glanced around once more. His eyes fell on a few small boulders, almost uncannily box shaped, and he figured if he stood on them, he could reach the chest.

And alas, he could once he stood on the luckily flat and smooth stone. He exhaled with relief as he held the heavy, rusty key that laid in the chest in his hand. He unlocked the doors confidently and happily and pushed them open with a defiant shove. _That wasn't _too _bad._

He quickly ate his words, however, for before him laid a huge room, three times as big as the one he was just in, that branched into multiply other rooms. Almost all of which were clearly locked.

There was also a winged dark soul, patiently waiting for him, in the center of the room, grinning his way.

His shoulders fell. "You've got to be kidding me."

* * *

><p>Dark soul blood stained his tunic as he entered the second to last room, mentally and physically exhausted from the rest of the temple.<p>

He had to face every room in the temple gallantly, confronting monsters he had never seen before whether it was a black monkey who screeched so loudly it nearly drew blood from Link's ears or multiple dark souls that played with his mind in the darkened shadows.

The room he entered wasn't big and was relatively empty, which made him suspicious. It was also extremely dark, only one single lantern was mounted on the wall, making most of the room left to the shadows.

He drew his sword, the metal making euphony against the case. The sound almost made him flinch, worried if there was something lurking in the shadows. And he was shortly proven correct.

A full fledged skeleton, yellow with age, stumbled into the light.

Link jolted backwards at the disturbing site and held his sword up.

The creature opened its mouth with a creak, its joints tight with lack of use and out came a ghostly, soft, and scratched 'ah' sound that sent a shiver down Link's spine.

He watched it limp towards him step by step, the sound continuing to echo out its bony mouth and throughout the room. When it didn't attack he merely swung his sword downwards, clumsy from lack of practice, and the skeleton collapsed into a pile of useless bones. Link stared at the pile, shocked at how simple the 'battle' was. But when he turned to exit the room, he found the door to be locked. Frustrated he picked the lantern off the wall and investigated the empty room, determined to get out.

There were a few pots in the corner and he smashed one, finding a large key, the last key. But the key was useless against the door of the room he was in so he was still trapped. The thing that really caught his attention was the written across the wall.

_The hungry soul will never quit. The weak, hungry, desperate soul will never quit, but will try and try until his enemy does. No matter how strong the enemy, it can out wait anything. It will wait for breakage and never quit. The desperate flame will be born again._

It took Link a moment before he came to sudden realization, his eyes widening. He heard bones rustling behind him. (add description) The skeleton was alive with hunger once again.

Link backed up, unsure what to do next. He swung the lantern at the beast, which did little to nothing. To keep the beast at bay, he sliced it to a useless pile a couple times while he thought. _It will wait for breakage and never quit._

The skeleton came alive quicker and took Link off guard, gripping his shoulders and shaking him to the ground, surprisingly strong. He lost his balance and scrambled backwards, knocking over one of the pots in the corner.

A thick, sticky liquid grazed his finger tips as the skeleton limped towards him, if possible, more tall and threatening than before. He lifted his fingers to his nose and narrowed his eyes.

_Is this…oil?_

His eyes wandered to the lantern. He knew there was a way to defeat this creature and he thought as quickly as possible.

_The desperate flame will be born again._

Link wrapped his hand around the remaining pot and flung it at the skeleton, thinking it was worth a shot, and it smashed against it, covering it with oil. He then leapt across the room to the lantern and easily set the skeleton on fire.

It screeched so loud Link had to cover his ears. The bones fell apart and quickly tuned into black ash.

Something told Link the creature was still alive but for now, it was defeated. He left through the door with ease, key in hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked the forest temple chapter! Please review and chapter 22 is on its way. <strong>

**Song for a character:**

**Link and my story in general: Some Nights by FUN. (the lyrics anyway for Link) Link has a few songs but I don't want to give them all now cuz it kinda gives away character development.**

**Also, a reader gave me an awesome idea for a new title cuz let's be honest, Shhh has to go. All credit to Zeltra if I ever do change it. (Not gonna give it to an open audience yet; the title's too good.) Any other ideas lmk**

**Oh and guys, in case anyone's confused, all the chapters are in order. The isolated scenes just 'interrupt' the story a bit. Don't get too caught up with the order. All scenes will be where they are supposed to be from now on.**


	18. Chapter 18: Her

**Editing in process, chapter not complete.**

**Chapter 18: Her**

He entered the large room, the last room, slowly and cautiously, expecting a challenge to be waiting for him. It was well known amongst the educated and religious, that the temples often held a rex, dwelling in the last room to give its trespasser one last trail. What he didn't expect was beautiful vegetation and a charming feature of water. The room was lovely, nothing he had ever encountered in the dry, fabricated land of his home. He wished a room in his home on the ranch resembled this. An entire room dedicated to clear water, colorful plants, and black stone walls. It would be nice if the sounds of the forest could be trapped inside as well, the outside voices of others and their labor filled routines would be left on the outside. He fancied the white flowers that lined the edges of the ground, how pleasing they were to the eye and the nose. He smiled and inhaled, letting their sweet sent calm him. His nerves nearly shut down. When his now warm blood flooded his groin and cheeks, he realized they were not just any type of lily.

He pinched his nose in discomfort, feeling a sickeningly sweet daze taking over him. If there was a beast waiting for him, this was no fighting condition.

"I thought you'd be taller."

Ahead, on top of an unidentified shape, was a young woman, so small and delicate Link would likely refer to her as a girl instead.

When he approached, he realized she was stunning in the most uncomfortable manner. Not the refined loveliness that dwelled in a woman's delicate features, this was something unique to him. So unique he found himself drawn to her, even though she appeared as a brat without speaking a word. There was an edge to her appearance, something sharp and cruel that did not make a man, or anyone for that matter, feel warm and welcomed. Yet, it managed to leave him impressed and in awe.

She stared at him with large, round violet eyes. Her skin that wasn't covered by her cloak was not only flawless but fair with a certain unearthly grey hue. There were many subtitles that suggested she wasn't of his kind. The sharpened tail that slowly slithered out from under her cloak and wrapped around her leg confirmed it.

It was then that Link noticed what she was casual sitting on, her leg rested on a bent knee. Like a queen on her throne, she sat upon the corpse of an enormous spider with multiple eyes and large fangs that still sent a shiver down Link's spine. The beast looked as if it would come alive at any moment and attack its beautiful rider.

"Taller?" he croaked, barely remembering what she said to him in the first place.

"I recall reading about you. The description led me astray."

"How so?"

"You could say I expected a large brute, at least 7 feet tall."

Link smiled, feeling a flutter in his gut. "Am I really that far off?"

"It makes no difference to me. You could pick me up and throw me across this room anyway."

"What is that you're sitting on?"

"I killed it when I first arrived. Pretty revolting, isn't it?"

The thought crossed Link's mind that he was supposed to be the one to kill it and somehow his fate had been disturbed. The thought passed as quickly as it arrived. He wasn't in the mood to fight anyway. He found his arms and legs wonderfully heavy. He longed to lie down, in a bed, with soft sheets and a warm body next to him. He did not feel this way often. Maybe once, during a dream or a lonely night.

The girl hopped off the tall spider, its lifeless body creaking, and landed so quietly it was almost inaudible. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're not a dark soul, are you?"

She gave him a crooked smile and dropped her cloak off her shoulders, exposing most of her body. He nearly dropped his sword.

"Do I look like a dark soul?"

Awkwardly, he glazed over her body and felt his own react. The bare minimum of her thin yet curved figure was covered by dark silk garnets, too lightly fabricated to be armor, too heavy to be underwear. He quickly adverted his eyes.

"You're cute," she cooed playfully and trotted over to him. "You haven't answered my question."

He frowned. She was coming awfully close. "What question?"

"About my appearance? Do I look like a dark soul, like a monster?"

"...no."

"Okay, then I'm not a dark soul." Now only a foot or so away, she reached out to touch him. He jerked backwards.

"Oooooo," she chirped, nearly squirming in excitement. "Someone doesn't like to be touched!" She poked his chest.

"Stop it."

"Why? There's a thick layer of tunic in-between us!"

She reached out and grabbed a fold of his tunic. He gently pried her hand off him. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I wanted to meet you."She put her hand around his waist. Bumps surged from his skin, even under his apparently thick tunic. He squirmed away in discomfort.

"What's wrong with you?!" he growled.

She flashed a wicked grin and began to tease him. Her behavior was so erotic he forgot where he was. He wasn't taking to a strange girl anymore. He was babysitting.

She'd tap his shoulder then ducked to the other side, she tugged a lock of his hair, she kept _touching_ him. He became frustrated, she was light on her feet, like a fox, like a _snake_.

"Why are you so touchy, huh?" she asked as she danced around him. "Bad childhood experience or something?"

"What? No, I-"

"Bad relationship with your mother?"

"I don't even have a mother!"

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Even better!" She kissed him on the cheek. He shoved her off and caught her by the arm.

"Ow!" she sneered.

"Are you insane?!"

"Yup!"

He released her. "You are?"

"Yeah, I'm just really good at hiding it."

"So you are a dark soul."

Her expression soured, something had snapped. "_I'M NOT A DARK SOUL!"_

He flinched and took a step back.

She closed her eyes and took a breath. "Sorry, but I just told you that I'm not a fucking dark soul."

"Then what are you?"

"I'm…am an evolved being. Insane.

But in control. The difference between me and dark souls is…the difference between you humans and apes."

"You're like Sinal."

She frowned. "I'm not a huge fan of Sinal. Smart fellow, cunning and ambitious but too.…serious for my taste. Too concerned with other's affairs," she held up a delicate finger to her mouth. "Don't tell him I said that, of course."

"So you know who he is."

"Everyone knows Sinal one way or another…or will know him."

He looked her up and down. "What do you want from me?"

She took a step closer to him. "I'm sorry for behaving so..immaturely."

"What do you want from me?"

"Nothing, really," she took the flower out behind her ear and held it up towards his nose. "Doesn't this smell pretty?"

"Get that away from me." He wrinkled his nose and turned his head, but it was too late. He could feel his senses soften.

"What? You don't like flowers?" she asked in a soft, sweet voice.

He gave an uncomfortable smile. "Y-you're trying to seduce me."

"No need to be so blunt, hero."

He frowned. "Hero? You know who I am?"

"Well, you being here was a pretty big hint," she pressed herself against him. "I'm glad you're here. I'm a very lonely person. I think that's why I've grown insane. I'm just so alone. And you're so kind."

"I've never been told that before," he said with a soft smile. Sadly, that was true. "I appreciate it," he pushed her away. "But I'm uncomfortable with this. I should probably get going anyway."

She pushed back. "I'm sorry, I know you're busy. I just trying to be friendly, I guess. I think you're cute. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" she rolled her eyes casually. "Okay, I suppose that depends on who you ask."

He smirked, she was charming in her own, odd way. He enjoyed being with her and it felt nice to have a casual conversation. He hadn't been this relaxed in days, in _years. _He wasn't sure if it was the flowers or the girl, but he didn't want to leave. He felt like he should, even though there was no real reason too. No reason at all. There was no reason.

"You know," he began. "You remind me of someone."

"Oh?" she pressed herself against him again and he felt warmer.

"A girl on my ranch. Her name was Elizabeth."

"Did you like Elizabeth."

"Uh...yeah. Loved her."

He took a whiff her flower. It was overwhelming. The smell was so sweet that he wondered if he could taste the flavor on her lips, which seemed so close to him.

"You're lips look dry," she muttered.

He furrowed his brow. She suddenly gripped a handful of his hair and he somehow knew he should stay still. She leaned up and in towards him.

He closed his eyes and parted his lips slightly, innocently expecting a kiss, but instead, he got her tongue and only her tongue. She drew the tip of it across his upper lip slowly, then across the bottom, like she was applying her saliva in place of lipstick.

His breath stumbled for a second as she pulled away. He wasn't sure what to think or what to do, but he felt very aware of the light moisture on his lips and subtly rubbed them together.

"You're tunic's not that thick," she said, fingering underneath it and pressing her fingertips against his long sleeve. "You don't even have a chained net under it. That's not very safe."

"W-" he was interrupted by his own gasp. Pain, blinding pain, pain he had never experience before or could ever imagine, shot through his side. He collapsed to the ground, his mouth gaping open like a fish. He gripped his side, feeling the soft, uneven texture of a wound and felt his blood pour out between his fingers.

Laughter erupted from above.

"That was easy," the girl breathed, wiping the blood of a blade.

"You bitch!" Link cried. "Why?!"

She placed the ball of her foot on his groin, but the pain in his side was the only feeling he could focus on. "Hurts doesn't it?"

He wailed out in pain, squirming on the floor in his own blood.

"This is your first time getting stabbed, isn't it? You should get used to it. I bet this is the most pain you've ever felt.

You should thank me. You needed a reality check. You probably thought you'd come in here with your little Triforce of courage….and be the savior of Hyrule, right?" she brought her voice tone to a stern growl. "Sinal's right. You have no idea what you're in for."

She held the knife up to his throat. "You were asking why I was here. I bet you've figured it out by now."

"Link!"

A new voice rang loud in the cave. Zelda's. She stood there in the door way of the room, bow in hand and arrow pulled back, a silhouette against the light of the other room. The arrow seemed to be glowing, illuminating the darkened room.

The girl looked up and groaned. "Not this bit-"

Zelda shot an arrow before the girl could finish her sentence, and it grew brighter as it flew through the air and collided into the girl.

She screeched as she was flung across the room, the light arrow piercing her inners.

Zelda crouched down by Link the moment she could as his enemy struggled to get up.

"Are you okay?"

"No!" he hissed.

"I remember you," his enemy was standing upright, the glowing arrow impaled through her midsection. She pulled it out slowly, black blood darkening the once beautiful weapon on its way. The dark liquid covered the arrow entirely and with a mere squeeze of her hand, it disintegrated into particles, as if it was made of sand. Zelda swallowed as the wound in her stomach disappeared and repaired itself. "You're that spoiled little Princess, aren't you?"

Zelda stared back, her expression stern and controlled.

The girl squinted her eyes and smiled. "How much did that crown cost, Princess? What is that? Gold? With a ruby? A diamond, here and there?"

Zelda's mouth drew into a hard line.

"1000 rupees? 2000?" the girl gasped. "3000? Princess, don't tell me it's over 5000!"

"Stop it."

"How does it feel, to be the pretty little show girl while those Hylain soldiers die every day? Be a public figure and sit on your throne?"

"Stop it! You have no idea what happens beyond those walls!"

"Oh I know perfectly well what happens among those damn walls!"

"You work for Sinal, don't you? How does it feel to be under the monster who's murdered thousands?!"

"The guilt game doesn't work on me."

The furious princess, clothed in her laced gown and expensive crown, lunged. The girl merely stepped back and sideways, avoiding her attack as if it had been in slow motion. This did not discourage Zelda, not one bit.

She pulled back her dagger and threw it.

It hit the girl in the chest, but bounced off as if the blade was made of plastic.

Zelda's face dropped. "You're a dark soul."

"I am not; last time I checked I can create solid words with my tongue and art with a brush."

"That doesn't explain your ghastly skin or that limb wriggling on your backside."

"Don't you know it's rude to insult a woman's skin?" the girl stepped forward.

"I would never call someone like you a woman."

The girl lunched forward in fury.

Zelda lifted her bow but was too late. She was easily rammed into and fell to the ground. The moment Zelda got up, the girl lifted her leg sideways in a kick so powerful, Link heard the thumb of her foot against Zelda's head. She fell to the ground and moaned in pain. They fought a decent battle, blocking each other's blows and finding each other's weakness. Zelda was well skilled and managed to avoid almost every quick attack, but her enemy's hard skin was too strong of an advantage, denying Zelda of any affective offense. Eventually, Zelda's ducks and blows exhausted her, and her enemy managed to throw her to the ground easily. Link felt useless as he laid there, listening the clanking of their blades.

The girl lifted Zelda up as if she were ten pounds and violently slammed her against the stone wall. Zelda's face was impressively stern.

"You may be a great fighter in the practice grounds Princess Whatever, but when your blades bounce off my skin you are worthless. My bones are made like steel so they can crush your organs like an egg."

Link decided he couldn't watch anymore and began to stand up. It was just pain. Just a little pain for a few moments, then he could rest.

The girl lifted her knee into Zelda's stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs as Link slowly rose, gripping his side.

The pain was unbearable but he decided to ignore it and focused on helping Zelda.

The girl looked to the side and smiled. "Oh my gods, isn't this a sight."

Link truly was. The entire left side of his tunic was drenched with blood, its green color stained with crimson to a disturbing brown mix. He was gripping his sword, both his wrist and the blade shaking. He could barely stand up. His body was pushed to its limits in the temple and now he had to find the strength to push himself further.

"Come on," the girl beckoned him like a dog, letting Zelda drop to the ground. "Come here so I can rip your head from your torso, pierce it on a spear, and present it to Sinal. Who knows what the psycho will do with it…perhaps he will consume it like an animal or display it for all of Hyrule to see. That's what I would do. I display your death like a trophy over the castle, your blood will be smeared across the marble of the statues."

Link stepped forward anyway. The girl drew her blade and waltzed towards him.

"You're making this too easy."

The moment the girl finished her sentence, a familiar glow appeared on the back of Link's hand.

Every one took a moment to stare at the one triangle that glowed the brightest, light a sun among fireflies.

He suddenly felt stronger as the triangle grew brighter, and it was as if the light burned off the pain in his gut. He raised his sword toward the girl.

"If you believe you can kill me then do so."

The girl frowned, held his gaze for what felt like eternity, and finally sheathed her blade. "Well played hero. I'm too smart to fight the hero of legends in a strong state like this, not now and not with that strong sword that I'd rather not risk breaking my skin. I was hoping to kill you and this bitch before you were able to get this far. I thought killing that damn spider would deny you the ability to complete the temple but..." she looked up the gods and made obscene gestures. "I guess things have a way of working themselves out, huh?"

"This isn't over, hero." And then she was gone. From some uncanny force she was able to disappear into the shadows completely.

The moment it was silent, Link collapsed to the ground.


	19. Chapter 19: Saria

Chapter 19: Saria

Link heard the elderly woman's voice as he kept his head down, his attention focused on the blades of grass instead of the blaring pain in his gut. He leaning on Epona, who occasionally snorted in concern and nuzzled his hair.

"My, my, what have you two gotten yourselves into?"

"The forest temple," Zelda breathed. "We need a medic."

"I'll help," a young voice said flatly.

Link spared the energy to lift his head and find the face that matched the voice. It was the green eyed, olive skinned girl from before. She stared sat him, almost in awe.

"….Hi."

He didn't respond.

"Follow me."

* * *

><p>"I bet you were really brave back there," the young girl murmured as she picked out the small dirt clots that were lodged in his flesh.<p>

He shrugged.

"I mean," she began as she wetted a cloth. "You have the symbol to prove it."

He glanced down at his gloved hand. "How did you know about that?"

"I had a feeling."

He stared at her for a moment. There was something about her skin, something about her eyes. "Do I know you?"

"Pardon?"

"Do I know you from somewhere? You seem awfully familiar."

She smiled softly. "You really don't remember me?"

His eyebrows twitched. "…I'm sorry. I don't."

"I don't blame you. It was a long time ago. I thought it was you when you first came here, but I couldn't be sure until…." she reached forward and touched his small, blue hoop that pierced his ear.

He lifted his hand and felt the groves of the earring. It was a token of his past, the only thing he had from his village. It was tradition for the children to have their ears pierced when they reached a certain age and the color would match their eyes.

And sure enough, the girl was wearing dark green earrings.

It then hit him all at once. "…..Saria?"

She smiled. "Hi Link."

* * *

><p>He couldn't stop staring at her. He remembered Saria. The young girl who followed him everywhere, whether it'd be playing in the woods or running away from home. He remembered how smart she was, how sweet, how caring. He remembered her telling him her dreams and what she would do when she grew up and how she would marry a strong soldier and be the best mother there was. And he remembered listening to her quietly by the brook.<p>

"One day," Saria's young voice said to him, the memory coming back to him that he had forced himself to forget. "One day, we'll leave this place and see the entire land! We can do it, you and me. We can steal two horses and go on an adventure!"

He and her, no older then seven years, were by the water.

"And we can get married and have a bunch of kids and maybe even a dog!"

He remembered his young self scoffing at the thought of marriage. "Ew, marry you? I don't think so."

She shoved him. "Boys don't get it."

He remembered his mother coming to get them, beautiful and sweet.

"Link, baby, it's time for dinner! You can play with Saria later."

And then the memory blurred.

"Are you okay?" Saria asked him and she placed a bandage over his wound.

He blinked a few times. "Yes. I'm sorry. It's just…."

"I know."

He knew he was close friends with Saria when he was younger but she still looked like a complete stranger to him.

"You look so different."

"Grown up?"

He nodded.

"Well, you've certainly grown up too…I'm happy to see you, Link."

"I'm happy to see you too."

They stared at each for a moment, each having so many questions. They ended up speaking at the same time.

"How did you-"

"I thought-"

"Sorry," Saria breathed. "You go."

"How did you…." he shouldn't have spoken first because he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Survive?"

He felt himself relax. "Yes," he breathed, realizing that's what he wanted to know the most. "How did you survive Saria? I thought everyone was killed…I….."

"I barely survived. My father and I were taking a ride out of the village. When we saw the dark souls entering the forest, my father rode away….he took me to the West mountains. I don't know of any other survivors."

He found himself smiling, a bright smile with teeth. "I can't believe you're okay. I'm…" he ran a hand through his hair, nearly giddy. "Happy."

She smiled back and squeezed his arm. "Me too. I mean…" tears were forming in her eyes and Link honestly couldn't tell whether they were tears of joy or sadness.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she wiped her eyes quickly. "I'm sorry…What about you? What was your life like?"

What a loaded question that was. "My uncle took me in. I started working on the royal ranch in castle town and soon, I took over as owner."

"Your uncle? Ben? I remember him being quite a…"

"Drunk?"

"I was going to say 'character'."

"He wasn't that bad. I survived."

"And your mother?"'

"Dead."

Saria, probably taken aback by his bluntness, was quiet for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I'm so sorry, Link," she took his hand in hers and slipped off his glove, exposing his Triforce. "But at least you can….avenge her."

He hadn't thought about that.

There was a knock on the door. Zelda poked her head in. When she saw Link and Saria she smiled awkwardly and stepped back an inch. "Oh I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"

Saria shook her head. "Is there something you need your highness?"

"No. I just think we should get going."

Link nodded and sat up. He winced slightly but did his best to hide it.

"Unless," Zelda began reluctantly. "You need more time to rest?"

"No. I'll be fine."

Link slipped on his tunic as he walked to Epona, who greeted him with a friendly shove.

"Hi girl."

"Ready?" Zelda was already prepared to go, eager and on her own horse.

"Yes. Where are we going now?"

"The water-"

"Wait, Link!" Saria came bounding up to him. She handed him a package of medicine and supplies. "Take this, it's the least I can do."

"Thank you."

"Be safe."

He took a breath. "I'll try my best."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."


	20. Chapter 20: Arthur

Chapter 20: Arthur

Arthur, a young, rambunctious man, never could stay in one place. In fact, the moment he was old enough, he bolted from his quiet home life and set out for a traveler's one, which served him well since. Quick with his mouth and on his feet, Arthur managed to make quite a life style for himself, whether it'd be sharing drinks and stories at every bar he passed or swiping bread when the baker's attention wandered. He always felt indifferent about theft.

Clearly the opposite of Link in many ways, Arthur was light hearted, easy going, carefree and always looking for cheap thrills. Calm and patient in heavy situations, but when the air was too still, he would grow fidgety and search for his own excitement.

His life of lone traveling was a fair price to pay for all the stories Arthur held and the ability to say 'I've seen it all'. It gave him quite a cocky and bold front, which made him both a delight and a nuisance.

Arthur enjoyed company.

He was traveling through the mountains by the Hylian forest when he came across the Princess and Link, bickering about directions. His stomach was growling.

"Remember? This map is ten years old! Even if we do follow it we can still end up lost!"

Arthur smiled as he approached them, directions being his expertise, and in high hopes of a reward.

"You two need some help?" he asked confidently.

Link glanced up at stared Arthur down with his piercing blue eyes, annoyed and tired.

"Yes," Zelda said. "We could use some help."

"Why," Arthur gasped fake heartily. "Princess! I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there in your stunning gown and blinding jewelry!"

She narrowed her eyes and glanced at Link, unsure of the meaning behind Arthur's confusing greeting. "Um….We're trying to find the lake and eventually, hopefully, the temple as well."

"The temple? Like in that legend?"

"Do you know of it?"

"Who doesn't? Of course I know where that temple is."

He slid off his grey horse and landed heavily on the ground with a thud.

Link waited for him to tell them, but quickly fell impatient. "Well, where is it?"

Arthur flicked the side of his nose and crossed his arms. Link stared at the gesture blankly while Zelda sighed.

"Food or money?"

"Both."

"20?"

"Ha! Try 100."

Link scoffed. "Just for some advice?!"

"No, no. Don't take my services for granted. I'll escort you both there, personally."

"We don't need an escort."

Arthur smiled and held out a hand. "We haven't met, yet, have we?"

The moment Link gave up his hand, Arthur ripped off his glove, exposing his mark. He reached for it only for it to be removed out of his reach, Arthur, long legged and lean, being a few inches taller.

"I guess you don't have to introduce yourself huh? Got some important business to get done down at the temple? What's 100 rupees to the safety of Hyrule, hmm?"

"Shouldn't the fact that you're helping the fate of Hyrule be enough for you?"

"I aint from Hyrule."

"It's fine, Link," Zelda assured and took out a silver rupee.

"See? That wasn't so hard," Arthur chimed as he slipped the gem in his saddle.

* * *

><p>"You are so difficult," Arthur snapped as his horse stomped its foot. Ahead of them was the valley leading to the mountain side that protected the lake. In between that, in the center of the valley, was an obvious dark soul camp.<p>

"_I'm _difficult?!" Link scoffed as he rode up next to Arthur.

"You're being impractical. We're going this way!"

Arthur's actions were as confident as his words as he charged ahead.

Link looked over his shoulder at Zelda in disbelief. She was stifling a smile, amused at their argument. Link rode Epona up and blocked Arthur's path.

"What?!" Arthur snapped.

"Maybe you should listen to Link," Zelda suggested.

"I know what I'm doing, sweetheart."

"Obviously you don't" Link mumbled as Epona tossed her mane. "If we go straight through, we'll run into a dark soul camp. It's better to go around. You're being ridiculous"

"What? The grand hero can't handle a few enemies?"

_Exactly, _Link thought to himself. Without the sword, his own could not withstand the impact of multiple dark souls without shattering completely. And, he did not believe he was ready to take on a challenge that, but he would never let Arthur know that.

Link narrowed his eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, the only reason you're here…"

"As far as _I'm _concerned I can do something the 'grand hero' can't" Arthur interrupted. "And that's find my way around. So stay out of my way, Linky."

"Linky?" Link raised an eyebrow while Zelda laughed behind him.

Arthur rode off before Link could protest, turning the corner sharply.

"Wait!" Link snapped.

They caught up to him and after a while of convincing, Arthur gave in with a shrug and agreed to go the long way around. He did, however, demand a raise in pay for the 'inconvenience' of an extended travel and the 'poor attitude' of his employers.


	21. Chapter 21: Tied Down

**FINALLY! Sry this took so long, been busy with school and rowing. Hope you guys like this chapter, shout out to ****rage cage and ****K'ger, sorry I've been so bad about keeping up with your stories! **

**And also shout out to the last girl who reviewed, sry I don't have time to check ur name rn! 'Her' will show up soon and she has a super ****complicated**** back story! Thanks for the review!**

**Chapter 25: Tied Down**

_You have no idea what you're in for. _

Link was staring at Sinal's emotionless mug, sword gripped in hand. His face was so inhuman, it was impossible to recognize any features.

Like a horrific burn victim, his nose was a mangled bump, his skin seamed aged and swollen, his eyes were blackened holes; like someone dug their finger tip deep into grey clay, and his mouth was a mere slit. When he opened it, saliva stuck to the grey skin surrounding it, decayed yellow teeth close behind.

_Are you willing to give yourself up to this legend? It'll be next to impossible, I assure you. _

_You must be killed Sinal. If I'm the one who has to do it, so be it._

_Can you kill me, though?_

Link didn't respond.

_You are lucky you are not a sage. At least you can die quickly and escape pain. The sages, however, will spend their entire lives in torture. And I'll find them._

_I'll make sure that doesn't happen._

Sinal then laughed, a genuine, happy laugh. His laugh was endless, echoing and echoing in the blank room. Link tried to lunge forward to attack him, but he suddenly felt knee high in water. Then waist high, for water was rushing into the room through every crack in the walls.

Link awoke, gasping and soaking wet.

Arthur stood above him with an empty canteen. "Morning!"

"W-…You bastard!"

He shrugged. "You wouldn't wake up."

Zelda held back a smirk in the background when she noticed Link drenched.

Arthur shot him a crooked smile and handed him a rag, which he snatched out of his hand angrily.

When Link glared at Arthur, he responded with an exaggerated shiver. "Yeesh, what's this guy's deal? Gods, you have the look of a murderer. Relax, grand hero of whatever, we have a decent amount of traveling ahead of us, might as well get along. Enough with the austerity."

Link let the features of his face relax as he ran the rag over it.

As they prepared the horses, the morning fog began to clear.

"I can see the lake!" Zelda cheered and pointed a finger towards the amazing view of the lands beyond the western mountains. And, as the morning air sharpened, a deep blue lake appeared, the top of a tower breaking the surface from beneath.

"Wow," Link came up next to her. After a moment of them staring into the distance in silence, Zelda sighed.

"Link, I wanted to thank you."

"For?"

"You didn't ask for this, for any of this, and you're doing a great job."

"Great job? I couldn't even defeat the first temple without your help."

"Well…..Okay, that's true but honestly, that wasn't your fault and you'll have a chance to put that girl in her place. What I'm trying to say is I know you didn't ask for any of this and no one's forcing you to…. Just…" she hesitated before awkwardly placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

He smiled back, knowing she was trying her best to be kind.

"Oh my gods this is painful!" Arthur bellowed from across their camp ground. "You two over grown fairies need to get a drink in ya."

Link and Zelda both narrowed his eyes at Arthur's insult. Especially this far from the castle region, pointed ears were a rare trait and often ridiculed. Link especially felt a pang of sympathy for Zelda, who's ears were far more pronounced, long and sharp. In was, in the castle however, respected for it was a sign of royal blood.

Arthur was already on his horse, prancing around the clearing like a show pony.

"Alright, here's the plan for the day. We'll head down the western trail to get to the bottom. It's a little bit longer than the eastern but it's very scenic and rather fun!"

Link cocked his head and sneered at Arthur's reasoning. "Fun?"

"Yes. F. U. N. You should have more of it. I can already tell you act way too old for a twenty year old."

"I'm only 18."

He pointed a finger at Link and smiled. "Exactly. We're all young adults here, I think we can enjoy the mountains while we're here! And I'm 19 so seniority rules. AND you'll get lost if you don't follow me! Nemǒw uǒz ab!"

_"_What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means; Let's go! Language of the gods. Better learn it. In fact you should start breezing over a few other languages, especially when you come across those Goron folks."

"What's a Goron?"

"Oh Gods, you need my help more than I thought."

* * *

><p>Link had to admit to himself the trail was enjoyable. The roads dipped and turned almost every hundred feet. Every now and then the cliffs would open up and expose the view for a few short moments. Link never realized how beautiful Hyrule could be.<p>

Arthur was leading the way and sometimes Epona, being the faster horse, would gallop up next to him. When Link lined up with him, Arthur took it as a challenge and rammed his horse into Link's.

"Watch it!" Link snapped.

Arthur's grey horse was as energetic as he was and charged around the corner, grazing Epona's flank.

The mountain trail was narrow, calling for one leader, one winner to be in front. Even though Link knew Arthur was leading the way, there was something about Arthur's obnoxious smirk that made him want him to feel the dust from Epona's hooves.

"Careful!" Zelda cried from behind.

But they charged on anyway.

What Link didn't notice was the childlike amusement Arthur was experiencing from the race, as if he didn't mind being behind. In fact, it was as if he wanted to lag behind, just to have the thrill to charge ahead once again.

It wasn't until they heard a horrific screech of a woman when they drew to an abrupt halt.

"The fuck?" Arthur began and backed his horse up a step. They waited for a moment, and the cries continued, getting closer and closer.

It was then a dark soul turned the corner, dragging a beaten body of a women by the leg in its mouth. It didn't seem to notice Arthur and Link ahead of it. It almost appeared as a dog, dragging a stick that was too large to carry, but too stubborn to let the stick go.

The woman was bawling, obviously too weak to break free. It was a pitifully weep and it was clear that she had accepted and now was morning her own death.

A trail of crimson blood followed the demon and maiden, cloaking every pebble in rich color.

Link drew his sword and dismounted Epona.

The sound of his feet made the dark soul drop the leg and stand up right.

"_W-what are you doing here? Get out! I demand privacy! I need to be alone!"_

As always, it's voice was made up of many insane voices, this time male.

"Link…." Arthur began and continued to back up on his steed. "Maybe we should leave it alone. Broad's dead anyway."

The dark soul's blackened eyes flicked back and forth between Link and Arthur. It was still until it began to back up towards the woman.

"_She's mine! All mine! The bitch is my property, you hear?"_

Link, determined to save the doomed maiden, stepped forward with wide eyes. The dark soul noticed this and grinned, bloody holes in place of its teeth. It was a familiar sneer that struck panic into Link's veins.

"Don't!"

He was too far and too late, however, for the dark soul quickly whipped down wards and took the throat of the woman in it's jaws. With a few violent jerks, the flesh of her neck was torn to bloody shreds.

Shocked, Link and Arthur watched it rip apart the corpse until it resembled meat instead of a woman.

The dark soul then looked up from its work, stained with blood and stared at Link and Arthur. It's face subtly twitched.

"_Pretty, ain't it? So pretty. So much beauty in the world."_

"Fuck this piece of shit," Arthur snapped and reached for a weapon. He leapt of his horse and took a confident step towards it.

"Wait!"

But Arthur ignored Link's warning about the dark soul's skin, and whipped out a crooked blade. He flung his arm and seconds later, the dark soul's head fell clean off. It hit the ground with a thud, it's soft skull flattening with every bump, further damaging the blackened tissue that was a dark soul's brain. The limp body stayed still for a moment until collapsing in a dark, bloody heap. As quickly as it left, the weapon returned to Arthur's grip. He grinned at the blacken weapon. "A bladed boomerang…neat, huh? Can cut almost all dark soul skin!"

Link's eyes widened as he reached for it. "Even Sinal's?"

Arthur pulled it back out of his reach. "Who's Sinal?"

"Oh, so I guess you don't know _everything._"

The comment breezed over Arthur's head as he approached the corpse and returned the weapon to his belt. Link was about to question it, but he decided he was too curious to see what Arthur would do. Also, he wouldn't listen anyway.

Arthur reached down and gripped the head by the mere ten strands of wired hair. They were so close to being torn out of the scalp that the skin around each one stretched to a sharped cone when Arthur lifted the head up for Link to see.

"Pretty, aint it? So pretty. So much beauty in the world."

Link stared at the decapitated head, it's lifeless eyes staring blankly ahead. Even when taken from a mental deranged monster of human origin, the sight of the head was still disturbing.

"Put that down."

Arthur chucked it over the edge of the trail and hollered, "Fuck dark souls! Long live every normal asshole in this piece of shit land!"

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah," Arthur explained through the roar of the fire, which he obnoxiously showed Link how to make. "Gerudo's gone to hell. The entire desert region is a shit show. Everyone's gone completely insane."<p>

"You've been there?"

"Fuck no! I ain't crossing that desert, not by myself anyway! Shit, what a terrible death. Oh; I suppose you'll have to cross it," Arthur was pointing a finger at Link. "Man, that sucks for you."

Link's eyes glanced towards the flames. The desert was one of the regions taken over by Sinal and this was the first time he heard anything else besides that.

"Tell me more about the desert," he said meekly.

"Well," Arthur began and sat up, thrilled to tell a story. "Apparently, there's areas in Gerudo completely run by women. I hear they capture men and turn them into '_man_' slaves…" he looked at Link and winked. "Damn that desert right?"

Link's face wrinkled.

"Anyway, I hear they have this, like, corrupted view of men, like we're beasts or some shit like that….so they're pretty much insane all ready."

Zelda scoffed.

"But then, the place got over thrown, all the women were either killed, raped, or both," Arthur was talking a mile a minute, making it difficult for Link and Zelda to digest the information he was throwing their way. "And, apparently, their water was poisoned and their food turned so rotten even the vultures turn it down and, apparently, the large desert region feels like a box getting smaller and smaller and all the poor people inside feel crushed everyday and claw against the walls of their homes until their fingers bleed. I hear minute of everyday the sun gets stronger and stronger on their skin and the sand is so hot they believe it is burning the very flesh of their feet when really, they are fine. And the movement of the vultures hypnotizes the women and they're cursed with pregnancy that never is successful and the pain of a lost child is added to their torture. And they can't escape. There's this odd, barrier, keeping them from the rest of the world. Like they are tied down…But that's just what I heard. I'm starving, can we eat soon?"

The air seemed so still when he finished. The only sound was the flickering of the fire.

Link finally took a breath and stood up.

"I'm gonna go hunt something for us to eat. I'll be back in a little while."

* * *

><p>The wilderness of the mountains was diverse, wild, harsh. The wind chilled Link's skin every few moments and the stars were the only source of light.<p>

He thought of Gerudo and the awful life Sinal had created for them. He almost ignored every possible piece of game that passed him, too engrossed in his own thoughts. He gripped his bow tightly and walked so slow his feet dragged against the dirt.

If it wasn't for it being directly in front of him, he wouldn't have spotted a rabbit peacefully nibbling on a brush. Link shot it before the creature even noticed it was being hunted and was glad that was the only kill he had made.

By the end of the hunt, he concluded death was a better fate then the dark insanity Sinal cast upon innocents.

**Oh and about that Goron thing, Idk whether I'm gonna have human Gorons, full Gorons or half and half.**

**No song yet. Maybe I'll update this chapter later tonight!**


	22. Chapter 22: A Wandering Mind

Hi Guys! Sorry I've been taking forever to update, been super busy. I had a little writers block too, and STILL this chapter came out a little iffy, sry if it doesn't make up for the long wait. As always, shout out to my fav readers ragecage and K'ger and GateKeeper142! (Even though all my readers are my favorites)

Check out their stories ^^^

**Chapter 26: A Wandering Mind**

The river beneath their feet was dead still, making even the tiniest sway of a reed catch the eye. The area around it was lush, green, and yes, very quiet. Link used to enjoy being alone with his own thoughts, almost to the extent where he was resented for it, but now he began to miss the casual conversations he used to share with his workers, something he realized he took for granted far too often. It wasn't the silence he minded; he could easily break it with Arthur, it was his state of mind that depressed him.

Arthur asked him many questions, but he simply didn't care enough to speak about himself, or his horse, or his love life, or whatever else Arthur asked him about. He was annoying and nosy, but friendly, something Link didn't pick up on in the moment.

Link's mind was too focused on the legend to speak, yet he wished it wasn't; he was aware of his state of mind and longed to change it, but of course, that was impossible. Soon, Arthur grew tired of coaxing both him and Zelda to speak so he fell silent as well.

It didn't seem so quiet before, when they rode across the mountain trails and discussed directions, but now, on foot, Link could hear his thoughts so loud it was like the different voices and memories in his mind were screaming.

So he kept his eyes down, stepped across the river and forced himself to think about the each stone, their shape, color, how deep they were.

"Never seen a river before?" Arthur mumbled under his breath when he was forced to stop behind Link, who was taking far too long to cross. He said it so low, as if to himself, knowing there was slim chance Link would spare him the energy to respond.

But Arthur was right. Link soon realized he was becoming fascinated. He had lived in Castle town all his life and had never seen a river before. It wasn't too strange, for his Uncle rarely traveled and if he did, he would leave Link, no matter the age, behind. The Castle Region was a very dry region, the only water sources beyond the far gates. The realization made him feel strange, foolish almost.

"Why does water represent wisdom?" Link asked Arthur, forcing each word out for the sake of knowing the answer and simply refusing to take another step until he did.

"Um…Cuz you should be wise to drink it but not drown in it?"

"Profound," Zelda murmured as she lifted her gown.

"You don't want to ruin your dress," Arthur chimed as she stepped onto the same rock as him. "Maybe you should take it off."

She kept her expression stern, but still placed a hand on his shoulder and shoved him towards the water. He wobbled for a moment before giving up and smacking the surface of the once peaceful stream. Link felt his muscles flinch forward, for he felt the need to help Arthur, but soon realized it was only a foot of water.

"Don't drown!" Zelda spat, a few unruly strands of golden hair in her vision. When she looked at Link, he smiled, but couldn't muster anything greater.

"Oo, I'maprincessandI'mallprettyandblonde," Arthur satirized as he sat in a foot of water, his rear sinking into the mud floor. Link and Zelda didn't bother to wait for him as he dragged himself out of the water and shook his spiky hair like a dog.

"Gods," he breathed as he quickened his step to catch them. "You guys are just _mean_."

They traveled through a village next, which was peaceful and humble. Very few acknowledged them, even the children seemed for invested in their chores then the visitors. The village seemed extremely focused on labor, making it difficult for the three of them to approach any of them.

Zelda herself had become unrecognizable. She changed her clothes, using up her spare clean shirt and skirt to replace her gown, which Link hoped wasn't an act of insecurity sparked by Arthur's comments. Her crown, along with all the other expensive useless trinkets that hung from her body, was stowed away in the horse's satchel. Although he understood why she did it, Link couldn't help but feel like if she hadn't, the busy villagers would be more open to helping three young adults find a mythical temple. Arthur said no one knew where the temple was exactly and also defended his services by saying he'd never said he'd lead them to the temple, but to the lake. Link was of course annoyed by this, but he decided it didn't matter at this point.

Zelda stopped suddenly and began to stare at a woman by a stream, cleaning her laundry vigorously. Link followed her gaze and stared as well, wondering if there was something Zelda noticed that he could not.

"Excuse me?" Zelda asked her. "Will you help us?"

The woman wiped her forehead, getting a trace of suds on her skin, and looked up with sweet, yet tired eyes. Her face was soft, kind, and wrinkled, too much for her age. "I….would, but I need to finish these clothes, my fami-"

"I will finish that for you," she assured. "And, by the look of that basket, you need to pick crops too?"

She breathed and nodded, obviously the mere mention of her future chore gave her anxiety.

"I will do that as well. I saw you rubbing her back earlier, I'm sure you've been hunched over your clothing for too long. And your finger tips are already beginning to prune….Just try to answer my friends questions and if you can't, perhaps show them the way to someone who can?"

The woman rubbed her hands, nervous about leaving her work, but finally stood up. She stretched her back and gave a sigh. "I shall do my best!"

"Wonderful! Thank you!"

Link was impressed by Zelda's sharp mind as he, the woman, and Arthur left her to clean alone, knowing she pin pointed the perfect, over worked villager to ask.

"What do you need to know? Actually, why don't I bring you two home, perhaps serve you some tea?"

Link was about to turn down her offer, but there was a certain eagerness to the woman's voice. Like the tea was more for her than for them. Whether she merely needed a break or needed the company, he couldn't tell.

"Sure."

An elderly woman sat on a chair inside when the three entered. She was staring at a letter, in deep confusion. When she saw Link, Arthur, and the woman, she smiled.

" Hello Victoria."

The woman sighed. "No, ma, I'm Mary."

"Oh," the woman frowned and again, looked confused. She kept opening her mouth, as if to speak again, but couldn't muster the words.

"I'm sorry, I thought she would be asleep by now….Take a seat," Mary told Link and Arthur. They did.

Link watched the elderly woman, who seemed to be struggling with the letter.

"Victoria, have you spoke to John recently?"

"John's-….no, I haven't. And I'm Mary."

"This letter says he's coming to visit," the woman smiled compassionately and looked behind her shoulder. "That will be lovely, won't it?"

Mary frowned and took a moment to answer. In her mind, she was deciding the best way to do so. Link was thinking how difficult it must be for her to constantly correct her mother, and perhaps Mary found it better to just go along with whatever memory her mother was reliving.

Link glanced over at the letter, stretching his eyes as far left as he could.

The date read thirty years ago.

The woman held the paper further away from her face and squinted. "What day is it today? We must cook him a meal when he comes."

Her hands were shaking slightly as she gripped the worn out paper, which was so wrinkled and torn that it must have been open and read several times.

And then, the letter was removed from the woman's hands. Mary took it from her, folded it, and placed it in an envelope.

"He won't come for a while. Why don't we put this away until then?"

The woman frowned. "Oh, oh alright."

She watched Mary put the letter in a drawer, then turned to Link.

"You must be Mary's boyfriend."

Link raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mary, hoping she would spare him the burden of responding.

Mary glanced behind her shoulder and began, "No, mother, I-"

"She's has lots of them, you know! Always bringing home a new man, each more handsome than the next. You do seem a little old for her though," the woman reached out and tugged on Link's ear playfully. The woman was clearly confused again, for Mary had to be at least forty.

"I haven't had a boyfriend for a while," Mary said calmly as she poured their tea. "I have a husband now, Jack. You know Jack right?"

The woman thought for a moment then nodded, making a weak gesture with her pointer finger. "Jack, yes…."

When Mary placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her mother, the mother nearly flinched.

"What is this?"

"Jasmine."

"I don't like Jasmine."

"Yes you do, Jasmine is your favorite."

The woman shook her head. "I don't want it."

Mary sighed and rubbed her eyes.

Link uncomfortably stuttered, "I-I'll take it. I love jasmine."

He actually didn't care for the flavor, but he took it anyway, holding his breath as he sipped to avoid the taste.

Arthur insisted he'd take anything she had, which was more jasmine.

The mother frowned and stared at each of their faces, various names and locations churning in her mind.

"I must say," Arthur said suddenly, the first one to speak. He directed the question to the mother, with a flashy grin. "You look beautiful in that dress, stunning, like a twenty year old!"

The mother gushed and placed a wrinkled hand over her heart. "Why! Thank you, young man. I got this dress…" she began the sentence like she had an incredible story to follow, but drifted away with forgetfulness. Arthur's smile didn't fade for a second.

"My sister had that dress too. She got it at a fair. A nice boy bought it for her and some perfume as well."

"I have nice perfume!"

"Yes, you do. I can smell it, like a rose you are!"

Link and Mary shared a soft smile.

The mother stayed silent after that, the only movement being her two fingers rubbing together anxiously. Her eyes, like Mary's, were soft looking and deep set. Her hair was grey and fizzy, but tied together in an elaborate braid. The mother almost screamed old age, shaking slightly and fumbled her lip. Link spoke to Mary, trying to ease into the legend as delicately as he could, while Mary struggled to keep up. Every now and then she would nod and say 'yes' in a soft whisper. Arthur managed to fill in the gaps that Link couldn't explain, however it didn't seem to make a difference.

The mother seemed to be very attentive towards a clock, that ticked loudly on the wall, like she was trying to create new ways to measure the time passed.

"That would be difficult," Mary said after Link and Arthur finished. "No one has been to that temple in ages, decades. I don't think anyone knows where it is, let alone get to it."

It was awkward for a moment, for it was obvious Mary didn't have the answers they needed, and they each had a full cup of tea that would be rude to leave untouched. Arthur and him shared a few disappointed looks, each of them eager to move on to the next person that may be able to help. Link finally stood up, after gulping down enough jasmine tea for it to be halfway empty.

"I'm sorry to leave you, but we must find information before the sun sets and-"

"I understand, it's alright."

"Thank you so much for your troubles," he remarked as he and Arthur headed for the door.

At the last possible moment, when Link's hand was wrapped around the door handle, the mother suddenly sighed, her eyes raised to the ceiling in a fond memory.

"That really was a fine temple."

Link and Arthur shared a shocked glanced and turned around to stare at the mother.

Arthur smirked, "Well I'll be damned."

**Sorry if that was ****a little**** boring, but it all comes together soon. If you guys would like an isolated scenes to keep you guys interested until next time, let me know! ****And check out my one shot Phrases, that is loosely based on ATL. It's a little strange and deep, not for every one but I feel like I should mention it.**

**Check out and review K'ger's SIG! And Ragecage's Triforce and the Trinity, and Gatekeeper142, u don't have a story but still luv ya anyway!**

**ATTENTION: Last thing, I may have to move ATL into the M for Maturity column ); maybe, I'm not sure. I might move it for one chapter to see the response/audience change, so keep an eye out for chapter 27 in the mature filter. I probably will keep it in teen though.**


	23. Chapter 23: 'Join or Die'

**Chapter 23: 'Join or Die'**

"Where are we going?" the mother asked, her arm linked in Arthur's. They were heading towards the far edge of the village, the sky an even grey. The farther they got from the village, the quieter it became.

"To the lake," Link answered from behind them. Zelda, patches of her shirt and skirt darkened with water stains, walked next to him, shivering as the twilight breeze teased her. There was a thin twig, so small it barely caught Link's eye, lodged into the upper crevasse of her braid. It was a twig from an apple tree, the fruit she harvested in Mary's place. There were smudges of dirt on her fingers, which were tucked and wrapped around her crossed arms. On any other Hylain it was be normal, but for Zelda's royal, clean and pale skin, it was like the inside of a bruised banana.

Link slid off his tunic and positioned it on her shoulders. She flinched at first, but then smiled and cowered underneath the fabric.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He said it was fine, however he could already feel bumps rise on his forearms that laid under the thin fabric of his undershirt.

"It's getting late," the mother said, her voice full of confusion and concern, taken out of her daily routine she had become so used to. It took a lot of convincing for Mary to allow her mother to venture out with a few young strangers, the only thing that tipped in their favor was Zelda, who had to explain who she and Link was to trust them.

Before hand, when they were warmly inside finishing off their tea, the mother told them about how she used to play with her friends in the temple's cave foreground when she was younger. Mary told them that was impossible, since the temple was said to in the lake, underneath the surface. The mother angrily insisted Mary was wrong, almost to the point where she became unstable with insecurity and frustration of not being believed.

Link then suggested heading to the lake, perhaps to trigger her memory or maybe even see signs of the temple beneath the surface. They promised to be back by the time the sun went down, which was already becoming a stretch.

"I know," Arthur said and tightened the thick poncho that was wrapped around the elderly woman. "Don't worry, we just want to see the lake…"

"Who are you?"

"Arthur. My name's Arthur. That's Link and Zelda, but you don't have to worry about their names. If you're going to remember one, remember mine."

"Where's Victoria?"

"She's fine, don't you worry about her either."

They continued through a few winding paths, across bridges, and finally up a hill, where a large, designed gate stood in their path. The lake was guarded by large, stone built walls, that had a war order carved into the side, signed and dated. A few unruly marks of art were sprawled in certain areas, perhaps a protest to the isolation of a lake that was surely once a popular spot for activity.

A guard, a short and stout man, was drifting off by the gate in a stone hut that branched off from the wall.

Link knocked loudly, jolting the man awake. He snorted and glanced around, his eyes blood shot and his chin sticky with dried saliva. He rubbed his eyes and lifted a crumbled book that he was gripping. He smoothed out the pages and began to read again, not even looking at Link.

"What?"

"We need to go inside."

"You got a permit?"

"….no."

"Then no can do."

"Why would I need a permit?"

"Only fisherman and merchants who pay the tax and enlist for a permit can enter."

"Yeah, but why isn't the lake open for everyone?"

"Why doesn't my hair grow back? I want it to, my wife wants it to, but it doesn't."

His eyebrows twitched with annoyance. "Is it because of the war?"

The man sniffed and shrugged. "I ain't no historian."

"It was ten years ago!"

"Then I don't know! Probably. It doesn't matter, you can't go in."

Zelda was by Link's side suddenly. "I can get a permit to drain the lake and use it as my personally bath water if I wanted to, you can let us in to have a quick look around."

"Just cuz you have blonde hair and pointy ears doesn't mean you're the princess of Hyrule."

Link and Zelda showed them their mark. The man glanced at it for a moment but didn't show much interest.

"Nice birthmark. Or is it one of those tribal burn marks that seem to be popular these days?"

Zelda finally took out a red rupee and placed it on the sill of his booth window. "Tribal burn."

"You don't think I get bribed by half drunk teenagers who want to take a midnight swim every other night?"

She sighed and took out a silver on top of it.

The man took the bribe willingly, even though Zelda was able to offer him more if he asked. "Make it quick," he muttered and slipped the bribe into his pocket. He ran a bell and left through a locked door that separated his booth from the wall, which allowed him to enter the inner boundaries of the lake. Minutes later, the gates opened and the four of them walked in, the grand, Hylain lake before their eyes.

There were minimal docks set up, each monitored by a few guards and only held a couple of small fishing boats.

There wasn't any sign of an under water temple that they could see with a naked eye.

The mother smiled at the sight. "Are we going for a swim?"

"No. I don't think that's allowed anymore…..Did you used to swim here?"

"I swam here with John once, he's visiting soon, you know."

"So the lake was opened to the public before?"

"What lake?"

Link frowned and turned to Arthur who shrugged.

"We can't expect too much from the old gal. Besides, I don't think the lake was closed off that long ago, hell, I came here a while back and went fishing with a few fine characters. No gate."

Zelda sighed. "I know why the lake's gated. I read about it in my father's old documents. Many years ago, hundreds, Hyrule and the Zorians came to an agreement. In order for Hyrule to claim the land around the lake and gain access to its materials, they had to offer Zorians protection and payed a small tax on all exported goods.

Ten years ago, during the first break out of the war, most of the Zorian tribe was wiped out. This village was hit hard as well, so the merchants began to fish and use up the lakes resources to make up for the damage. The Zorians blamed Hylians for poor protection of the lake and the land, even more so when their resources were taken up. They demanded repayment. The gate was built and the taxes were raised. So if the villagers want to use the lake, they must pay a larger tax in order to fish there."

"So that's why that village is so busy, huh?" Arthur said the second Zelda paused in her explanation. "Can't afford the tax, can't fish, can't make more than they pay?"

Zelda frowned and glanced at the dormant lake.

Arthur took in a loud, obnoxious breath through his nose. "I smell…revolution! Better yet, civil war."

A flicker of worry flashed in Zelda's eyes, but it left as soon as it appeared. "That won't happen."

Link struggled to consume the large amount of foreign relations that were thrown his way, but he felt the need to support Zelda, who was only a child when the taxes were raised. "W-why don't we focus on one thing at a time?"

"Right," Zelda nodded vigorously. She turned to the mother. "Is the temple under this lake?"

The mother shook her head. "Of course not! It's in the mountain."

They all shared uneasy glances, some towards the small, mountainous cliffs that surrounded the lake closely. "…The mountain?"

She thought for a long moment, beginning a sentence then abandoning it with uncertainty for what seemed like decades. "We went through the mountain side, down the tunnel."

"What tunnel?"

"With John?" Link asked before she could answer Zelda, remembering the date on the letter. "Sixty years ago?…." He glanced at the lake and thought for a long moment. "This isn't about the gate being built ten years ago, otherwise anyone above the age of 15 would remember the temple. This is about something that happened way before, something only she has witnessed. Mary said no one has been to the temple for multiply decades and most believed it wasn't real, but she's decades old and she's been there."

The mother frowned at Link's words, trying to remember. "I-I went with John."

"Did you ever go to the temple again with John?"

"We will when he comes to visit!" the mother said cheerfully.

Link's face sunk, once excited that he was leading them somewhere, now right back to where they started.

But the mother frowned quickly however and emotionally cried. "NO! No, we can't go! They filled it up. They filled up the tunnel."

In that moment, all three of them began to connect the clues they were fed. They took the mother home without another question or word.

Arthur began to chain of realization in the living room of Mary's home, where a Hylain map laid across the table. Mary had made them a simple meal of potatoes and small scraps of tough meat, which they thanked her for thoroughly. The mother and Mary were asleep while the three travelers analyzed the information they gained over candle light. Arthur spoke first and placed a finger on the simply painted mountain around the lake.

"There was an entrance through the cliff side…"

"But it was filled up," Zelda continued.

"Sixty years ago," Link added.

"It's not on the bottom of the lake.."

"It's in the mountain side."

"But it has to be connected to the lake," Zelda commented. "For the Zorians to reach it."

"So there's a way to reach it underwater but not through the land side tunnel?" Link questioned.

Arthur chewed on a carrot and answered his question with another one. "So, an underwater tunnel to a mountain embedded cave?"

"Exactly," Zelda breath and marked the map with a quill pen. She drew in a path from the wall of lake, across the grass plains between the two land points, and into the mountain side.

Link pondered this for a moment. "That was smart of the Zorians, only making it reachable for them…why did they do that?"

Zelda marked the area within the mountain side with an X. "The temple is sacred, protected ground. It makes sense for it to be closed off from the public, for….religious and sacred reasons. Maybe they got tired of people that went there just to look at the pretty carvings."

"Most Hylians have the same religion," Arthur muttered bitterly. "It's their sacred ground too. The water temple serves the land, not just the Zorians. And besides," he spat with his arms crossed. "If the Hylians have to pay a stupid tax to live on the land, then they should be able to do a little sight seeing."

Zelda hesitated before speaking next. "W-well, either way, most villagers aren't even aware of the temple's location anymore-"

"That's a pretty fragile secret, huh princess? What if the villagers found out a temple of worship was closed off from them years ago and the Zorians knew where it was? Why can they get to it but we can't? Thank Gods the only person who's old enough to know about it is loosing her memory, be a pretty big threat to the 'peace' around here otherwise, wouldn't it?"

Zelda's face remained emotionless, however every muscle tensed. "Civil war is the last thing we need right now."

"There won't be a civil war," Link murmured, anger brewing in his chest against Arthur, who seemed to enjoy torturing the Princess by criticizing the complex government policies of her family. There must have been more to what they know, and Arthur had no right to assume that there were issues the royal family couldn't handle. "Let's focus on the temple."

"Yes," Zelda said, her voice shaken. "At least we know where it is."

Arthur snorted and snatched the pen out of Zelda's fingers. "Bullshit! It can be anywhere!" He drew the same path Zelda did before, but around the entire lake, creating a spider like pattern. "It can be anywhere within the mountains, and the underwater opening can be anywhere in the walls!"

It was silent for a moment.

"And I can't swim," Link muttered in the back of his throat.

Arthur threw his head back and screamed.


	24. 24: Under Through Hell and Back Again

Arthur sang a folk tale and they began to walk along the lake barrier.

"_Under the water and back again, _

_Don't drown, _

_Don't be Ben!_

_You can jump, _

_You can dive, _

_Just don't fall in, _

_Don't you die!_"

"Can you not?" Link growled from behind the prancing buffoon.

"Aw," Arthur pouted. "Is the hero scared of a little water?"

"I'm not scared of water, just can't swim well."

"Can you not swim well or can you not swim? Big difference."

"Leave him alone," Zelda grumbled close from Link's side. "When you have to go through seven temples, then you can give others a hard time."

Link turned his head to look her. "Seven? I thought I had to go through these three, then the other two. That's only five."

"Oh, right. Okay five temples."

Arthur spun around to face them and walked backwards. "See? You two better stop gaining up on me cuz you need me. You have no idea what you're doing."

Link scoffed. "Neither do you! Hell, you didn't know where the water temple was. You _still _don't know!"

"The water temple's tricky. So is the light one. But I'll find the fire one for ya quickly. Five minutes, top!"

"Who said you're staying for that long?"

Arthur shrugged. "You can take your chances without me or let me tag along. No difference towards me."

Link knew it did make a difference, but he let it go. Instead he turned his head to look at the mountains surrounding the lake, like a bowl. "So the temple can be anywhere in these mountains?"

Zelda sighed, her voice light and pretty. "I suppose so…."

"Maybe we can talk to the Zorians?"

Arthur scoffed.

"Why do you have such a grudge on them?" Zelda asked.

Instead of answering, Arthur continued to sing.

_"__Poor Ben,_

_He fell back then, _

_Fell and died,_

_His mother cried._

_Under the water and back again_

_Don't drown_

_Don't be Ben!"_

"Gods, Arthur, don't sing things like that."

"Would you rather me sing a different song? _Mean boy Johnn_-"

"No!….Just be quiet."

"Fine, then I guess I won't point out that little number."

Link followed Arthur's finger, which was pointing at a young Hylian girl crouched over and staring into the lake's water from a dock a few hundred feet away. At first it didn't look like much, the girl was obviously watching a fish, but then another head, a Zora head, popped out of the water from below. It struck him like a dolphin sighting, when everyone would rush to the edge of the shore and point at the fins breaching the surface.

Before Link could comprehend it's appearance, it disappeared under water, leaving behind a single ripple.

"Whoa," he breathed. "I've never seen one before."

Arthur's eyes shot back and forth between Link and the children. "Well, go over there and look all you want."

"Actually that's a good idea," Zelda said. "Let's split up to cover more ground. I'm going to go speak to the guard patrol, maybe they know more about the Zora's. Arthur, go speak to the fishermen….and be polite!"

Arthur sneered and ticked his head back and forth mockingly.

"So, I can go over there?" Link asked, his eyes not moving from that same spot on the water.

"Yes, go, look at the pretty fish!" Arthur gestured him towards the dock like he was a child. He then smiled wickedly and wrinkled his eyebrows, like he was delightfully disgusted. "Or the pretty girl."

"She's like twelve!"

"Hey, I'm not judging."

"Just go!" Zelda snapped at him. Arthur shrugged and bounded away towards the fishermen. Link glanced at her for a moment. "You go too."

He then bounded off as well, a childish excitement brewing in his gut. He had never seen a Zora.

As he approached the dock, the head appeared again, a male, he guessed, staring up at the young girl with round, deep blue eyes. So deep they were nearly black. It's skin was bluish grey, it's hair was almost nonexistent, only a few black, thick like wire strands hanging on it's head. Gills were on it's neck as well, but there were no other sign of clear fish traits. No fins, or tails. It certainty did not look like a mythical mermaid. It looked like a Hylian that spent a thousand years adapting to water, perhaps nothing mythical to it at all, which was slightly saddening, he didn't know why exactly.

"Hi!" Link cheered a little too loudly to the pair. The head flinched and disappeared underneath the depths once again. The Hylain girl stood up and crossed her arms.

"Damn it, mister! You scared it away! Ah, shit!"

"….That's quite a mouth you got there."

"Thanks..You scared away the mermaid! He was nice!"

"I don't think it was a mer-..never mind. Is he really gone?"

"Well, you can still see 'im," she pointed out towards the lake. Link approached the edge of the dock, to the point where a quarter of his foot was hanging off, and peered into the depths of the lake. And sure enough, there was a human like figure squirming in the water, effortlessly swimming away from them and deeper into the depths. It spun around in a barrel roll briefly, as if it was enjoying itself, and Link caught a glimpse of it's face, calm and tranquil, and it's finned feet, which effortlessly pumped the creature further away.

"Cool, huh?" the girl chimed. "I've seen him before, but he doesn't speak. Not like us."

"It is cool," he murmured. He felt his weight tip forward and his heart sped up and his stomach jumped. He flinched backwards and swayed his weight safely back onto the dock.

"Sometimes," the girl squeaked and sat on her knees again on the edge, the majority of her front half out over the water. "You can see them below."

Link felt nervous the more the girl leaned close to the water and glanced behind his shoulder. "Where are your parents?" he asked, innocently, worried about a young girl alone by the water's edge.

"My dad's a fisherman. He's over there fighting with that mean guy…..I can call out for him any second so don't try anything."

Link raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't going to…How old are you?"

"Ten."

"You're smart, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know."

He looked behind himself again and stared at the two men bickering. One was shoving a piece of paper in the other's face, a permit it seemed. He watched the words mouth swears and the veins in their necks become more defined. Link stared at them, his attention and vision blurring. He was disappointed that the creature swam away and honestly didn't know what to do next.

While he was doing so, he didn't notice the dark shape growing bigger and bigger inches below the girl's face under neath the water. Her eyes lit up and she leaned in closer, waiting for her aquatic friend to return. In truth, she was hoping for their faces to bump when he emerged, something she read about in her mother's romantic novel. However, instead of it being from his head popping out of the water, it was an awkward face to face in a public doorway. She was a smart young girl, thinking she could reenact it 'accidentally on purpose'. She held herself like that and waited, not taking her eyes off the growing black spot, like a growing ink stain.

Then Link heard something. A little splash.

He turned his head to look at the girl, but she was gone. He just stared for a brief second, trying to comprehend the fact that there was a girl there ten seconds ago, and now there was just an empty dock, and a left over ripple in the water blow.

"W-…Hey!" he called and fell, more fumbled, onto his hands and knees, staring aimlessly into the depths. He quickly began to panic. "H-hey! Help!" he looked over at the father, who was a foot too far to hear him. Even when he seized his yelling and glanced over, Link realized it would be too late. So, after taking a deep breathing and swearing loudly amongst his racing thoughts, he jumped in after the girl.

The first mistake he made was opening his mouth to take in a surprised breath. It immediately filled with water. He spit it out but felt himself panic when he couldn't suck in another gust of air. His body felt heavy and he longed to shoot to the surface and flail his arms and legs in an effort to keep himself afloat. But something in the corner of his blurry, underwater vision focused his intentions. A tan colored figure, the young girl, was struggling with all her might but loosing the battle against a black figure. It was dragging her to the bottom.

Link jolted downward to grab her, awkwardly, trying to mimic the actions of the Zora child and swam down to the conflict. He gripped the girls arm and barbarically tried to simply pull her up, but the black figure was stronger and tugged him down with them. Link jolted his body frantically, feeling himself drowning, both by his inability to swim and the creature tugging him down. He could let go of the girl and rise to the top of course, but his grip stayed on tight, even when his lungs began to cramp and his heat began to beat so fast he could feel it in his pained chest. It was so uncomfortable, he didn't notice his hand begin to subtly burn.

He shouted encouraging commands in his thoughts, gritting his teeth, and continued to play tug of war. He then, grabbing the attention of the black figure, heard an underwater screech and the figure jerked violently back and forth. It squirmed itself around so it was face to face with Link, and the sight was almost enough to send a weaker soul in the opposite direction. But his tight grip on the girl's arm didn't allow him.

It was a female dark soul with hair that floated around its head in different directions. Its skins was wrinkled, pruned and that same disgusting grey black tone. It was different however, for it's eyes were a milky white and blue, like a blind dog. It opened its mouth, long yellow teeth inside, and hissed, giving it the appearance of a deep sea angular fish. Link flinched for a moment with wide eyes, taking a moment too long to react. The dark soul let go of the girl and began to viciously attack him, digging it's claws into Link's face and chest, it's teeth snapped dangerously close to his throat. Link couldn't fight with one hand and eventually, as his blood stained the water, he let go of the girl and struggled to keep the dark soul at bay. The girl's body, now limp, sank in the corner of his eye. He impulsively darted down to grab her, but the dark soul bit down hard on his ankle and pulled. He opened his mouth and let out a muffled scream.

It was chaotic. Link was loosing oxygen, fast. The dark soul delivered blow after blow, making him weaker and weaker. The fact that he couldn't return for air is what was so terrifying, and now that the dark soul pulled him in the opposite direction he swam, it dawned on him more and more.

The girl was sinking and he couldn't get to her. He felt like wailing in defeat and fear; he failed, and now they were both going to die. He wasn't giving up per say, but it was impossible for him to escape, and he slowly began to drown. His body and mind were about to give out when an intense burning sensation overcame his right hand. A golden glow illuminated the water.

He suddenly felt a rush of anger that replaced his hopeless. _No! This isn't going to happen!_

He gripped its neck with his last free hand, his attention not wandering even when the golden glow lit up his view, and squeezed so hard he felt the bones of the neck bend. But, without his hands, he began to sink. Power pulsed through his arm and fingers, and for that moment, the lack of oxygen didn't seem as urgent. He was so angry.

With one swift motion, _crack! _He snapped the neck of the dark soul and threw the body downwards to sink.

As he made the last effort to grab the girl, he felt himself push his body to its limits, his eyes widening and feeling himself loose conscious. He was screaming in his mind, only a muffle coming out of his mouth, as he reached for the girl's hand.

But, alas, his vision blackened, his muscles collapsed, and he fell limp as well….and sank.


	25. Chapter 25: Chastity

_Three months ago…._

When the sun rose, a girl did as well. She was pretty and fun and could be sweet, if she was with the right person at the right time. But that was awfully rare. She sat in her bed for a moment and glanced at the dying rose on her desk side. It used to be white, but now it was wrinkled and brown. So dried it began to flake away more and more each day, to the point where she hated waking up and seeing it look worse than the day before.

A woman knocked on the door. "It's time to wake up."

"I still have two minutes."

The girl was fully aware of the time and always hated when the woman would come and tell her when it was time to do things minutes before it was, like the girl couldn't handle her own schedule.

The woman walked in, a stack of folded clothes in her arms. She looked at the clock as she set the clothes down. "Now only one minute."

"Get out," the girl gestured her hands at her mother, encouraging her to leave.

"Now only thirty seconds."

"Get out!"

The woman smoothed out the clothes and picked up a conservative white blouse. The girl clenched her fists and eventually began to squirm.

"Can you plea-"

The clock chimed when it hit the hour, her alarm.

"Now it's time to get up," the woman said and held up the blouse for the girl to see.

"I don't want to wear that."

"You're going to."

* * *

><p>"Eat your breakfast."<p>

"My rose needs to be watered."

"Your flower is dead."

"Maybe it wouldn't be dead if we watered it more."

"We did water that flower. You took good care of it, flowers don't live that long…We can get you another one. Eat your eggs."

The girl stared at her eggs and pushed them around with her fork. "I want to eat something different."

"I already made your eggs. You can have something different tomorrow."

The woman placed a white pill next to her plate.

The girl placed it in her mouth and pushed it down into the special spot between her gums and tongue, somewhere the woman couldn't see it when she opened her mouth wide. After she carefully filtered the sip of water through her teeth and around it, the woman said,

"Open."

She did and stuck her tongue out, feeling the pill delicately balance in her crevasse.

"Good."

The girl shoveled the eggs in her mouth, the taste of the eggs making her sick, and stood up.

The woman watched her, the same way she always watched her, it made the girl sick. "Where are you going?"

"The river. I can go to the river."

"Take your notebook."

"I know."

"You have fifteen minutes before your studies."

"I know. Don't start the time yet."

"I'm starting it…" the woman looked at the clock on the kitchen counter. "Now."

The girl slipped out the door.

* * *

><p>A boy was waiting for her by the river. It was a new one, at least five years older, so he was more a young man. The girl had seen him around before, but had forgotten his name.<p>

"I thought you'd have one of those locked belts now," he muttered, staring at her hips.

"The pill does just as much damage, really. You know, decreased drive."

The man frowned. "Did you take it?"

The girl dug the pill onto her tongue and stuck it out to show the man, then spat it out on the grass.

"I have ten minutes."


	26. Chapter 26: The Collar

**_Chapter 30: The Collar_**

Link awoke with a lung full of water. He coughed violently and pitifully, laying on the shore, a small crowd gathered around him. He felt like he was waking up from a deep, dreamless sleep, of course, the liquid tickling his throat making it much less peaceful.

"He's alright," Arthur's voice said in a rather annoyed and reassuring voice, directed to Zelda, who wouldn't stop asking if he was breathing.

He coughed again and took a moment to remember where he was. The memory of the water returned all at once.

"…What happened? Where's the girl?"

"Over there, she's okay."

The girl was being comforted by her father, a blanket around her shoulders, a few hundred feet from them. She didn't seem frightened.

"How did I survive…what saved me?"

Arthur grinned. "I did!"

"ǐn uǒyiém! ǒw òuz eloàd!" (Nǐ méiyǒu! Wǒ zuò dàole.).

An unfamiliar voice retorted a few feet away in the a language that Link couldn't understand, but recognized. The creature was the young Zora from before, scowling from the shallows of the lake, pacing, like it wanted to leave the water but refused to step foot on land, like a cat refusing to cross a river for a mouse.

Arthur sneered at it and called. "Don't brag. It's a lot less heroic if you want credit!"

When the Zora continued to spit phrases at Arthur, he rolled his eyes. "Okay the fish saved you two."

"ègàn nérnán uij égán iáhǚn."

"He says you saved the girl." Arthur cleared his throat and called out to the Zora to correct him. "He _TRIED_ to save her!"

"āt néh nǎggnǒy, āt nák iálǐq gnìb ùb gnáix āt oádīhz éhúr gnǒyuóy."

"He says you were brave," Arthur murmured. "And he could tell you couldn't swim."

"èixèix ǐn elùij āt."

"He said thank you for saving her."

"…..āt ìhs ǒw ed uǒygnép."

"She was a friend."

"Thank you for saving us," Link called to the Zora. When it looked confused, like he had spoked too quickly, Arthur translated. It then responded once again in the foreign language, which Arthur translated once again to Link.

"He says no, he was a coward. He said he knew the girl was drowning but was too afraid to save her while the monster was there. He only helped when he saw the monster was dead, unlike you. He says he admires you for your bravery."

"The monster? You mean the dark soul?"

Murmurs broke out amongst the crowd when Link mentioned it.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Can the royal family send out a pamphlet or some shit so people don't act so surprised?"

Zelda spoke a few reassuring words to the crowd, encouraging them to calm down and give them space, which they did. After a moment or two of Link and the girl recovering and the Zora watching from afar, Zelda leaned in towards Link. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm sure…." he brought his voice down. "I think we should take advantage of this situation. Maybe that Zora can-"

She frowned. "Take advantage?"

He stumbled for a moment, realizing how shallow he sounded. "W-well, I didn't mean it like that, but don't you agree?"

"No I do, I do. I was thinking the same thing, honestly." She looked behind her shoulder at the Zora, who now seemed to be paying more attention to the girl.

* * *

><p>Link, Zelda and Arthur were all on the dock, talking down to the Zora in the water. He did most of the talking while they listened, waiting for their moment to ask for help. The Zora was grateful and rather fascinated by Link's courage. He, translated by Arthur, spoke of how he devoted his life to his studies and deemed, both by himself and his mentors, the top of his class. However, he said with overwhelming confidence that he couldn't have been more doltish when the young human drowned. He was envious of Link's brave and quick instinct to act and declared his academic studies worthless if he couldn't defend himself or the ones he cared for. Link would listen to his statements twice, both through his mouth and Arthur's. The Zora's vocabulary was so advanced he often had to switch to a simpler word for Arthur to translate.<p>

"Um, thank you, I suppose," Link began. "I have to say I disagree with you, I don't think it was very smart of me-"

The Zora interrupted, this time speaking Hylain, slowly and with a heavy accent. "I didn't say it was smart, I said it was brave."

Link simply nodded and glanced at the ground.

Arthur cleared his throat. "This is all very profound but I'd think we'd regret it if we didn't ask about the temple…." he then translated that thought into the Zora's language.

The Zora sank an inch deeper into the water. Link and Zelda merely flinched forward, but Arthur pointed a finger at it rudely.

"Ah ah ah! Don't you dare!"

The Zora seemed unfazed. "I did not…wanted to leave."

Arthur crossed his arms. "If you're so damn smart why can't you speak plain Hylian?"

"It is not..My mentors do not think it is important."

"Ah," Arthur murmured. "Didn't take the time?"

"I can understand you. That is…good."

Link muttered, "And not many Hylains know their language either so lay off."

Arthur glanced at Link and merely shrugged in response.

"So the temple?"

The Zora attempted to begin a Hylian sentence but soon gave up and spoke his language, which Arthur reluctantly translated, not even allowing the Zora to finish completely.

"He says the temple is no longer accessible to Hylians-Yeah, yeah we got that part! Skip to the end, where we find the damn thing!"

The Zora once again didn't seem insulted but then spoke a single, sharp word, and disappeared.

Zelda gasped a the site and snapped, "Arthur, you must learn to control your tongue!"

Link began to protest as well but Arthur groaned, "_Relax!_ He told us to wait!"

They waited for a long while. Link wasn't the most patient soul in the world. unlike Zelda, who seemed prepared to wait years for the creature's return. Arthur seemed hyper-active, trying to find interest in things around the lake while they waited.

The Zora returned with a device fastened in his jaws. It was a difficult object to describe, for it was comprised of multiple fan like blades, screws, dials, and leather straps.

"What the hell is that?" Arthur spat.

Instead of answering, the Zora stretched upwards and placed the device on the dock. Link reached for it but Arthur swiped it before he could.

"What the hell is this thing?" he repeated and barbarically examined it.

The Zora spoke towards Link.

"He says you should strap it around your neck…" Arthur translated and handed it to him. "Wait, what? Did I hear that right?"

Link began to strap the odd leather device around his neck, like a chunky collar. "Like this?'

The Zora spoke.

"Now tighten that screw there," Arthur said with a pointed finger.

As soon as Link did that, he heard the click of the blades switching positions and seconds later felt them pressed against his skin. He tightened the dial until it tightened and jerked around once with a loud click. Then, as if they had a mind of their own, the blades began to press not only onto his skin, but into it.

He lifted his hands and tried to rip the device off of himself. "It's cutting me! It's cutting me!"

Zelda's eyes widened as she watched in horror and began to demand an explanation. The Zora began to bark commands over her voice, which Arthur snapped soon after. There was so much noise Link removed his hands from the collar and placed them over his ears.

"No! Leave it! It's supposed to do that! He says it only hurts for a little while."

Link whimpered and held his breath as the blades sunk an inch into his flesh and the device settled itself. The pain was an unfamiliar combination between a sharp, burning pain and a deep ache.

The blades fell still lodged in his neck and the pain did calm itself, but there were still gashes in his skin and blood seeping out.

He opened his mouth to say 'now what?' but he couldn't breath. The discomfit from before was returning for the he soon began to gasp like a beached fish. Panic began to set in. Also extreme confusion. Why would the Zora do this to him after saving him?

The Zora, who know seemed like a murderer in Link's eyes, began to spoke again.

"Oh, he saying something else," Arthur began. He listened to the Zora for a while, even after he was finished Arthur seemed to take a long, drawn out pause.

Zelda and Link both waited impatiently for Arthur to translate, more so Link who was loosing air.

Arthur smiled wickedly and said, "…..Oh and you can only breath in water now."

The moment that sunk it, Zelda lunged forward and violently shoved Link off the dock. He hit the water hard and sunk downwards, the Zora dancing around him under neath.

**Not this chapter not the next, but the next I'm soooo excited for cuz 'her' is coming back! (she is literally my fav character…sorry Arthur). Keep an eye out for chapter 32 for some sexy, thriller, game changing action! Especially since this chapter was a little boring, sorry. Shout out to my new ****reviewers; ThatHylainGirl07, you rock, Arianna007, and all my other readers. And as always, shout out to K'ger. Check out her other stories like Gidbo's Curse and his new modern story! **

**And I could really use reviews on this chapter, I wasn't sure about it and I was thinking of making it longer since it's so short (meaning I would combine it with the next chapter where he finds the temple) I don't want to have so much build up to the water temple, it gets slow, doesn't it? Thanks for all the support**


	27. Chapter 27: Wisdom

**haahahha fuck yeah i uploaded! hey guys. Sry i took so long to update. Been so busy with ****crew and**** school. First weekend free from regattas, so I managed to start this chapter ****yesterday**** and bang out the rest of it this afternoon. Enjoy! (happens ****after chapter 30: The Collar)**

**AND SORRY! I DECIDED TO DELETE THE ISOLATED SCENE BEFORE THIS CHAPTER BUT FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT I SHOULD DELETE BOTH CHAPTERS THAN RE-UPLOAD THIS ONE. STUPID MOVE. IMMA IDIOT! SO IF YOU'VE ALREADY READ THIS, SORRY, JUST WAIT FOR CHAPTER 32!**

**Chapter 31: Wisdom**

Various clicks and mechanical sounds came muffled into Link's ears the moment they settled beneath the surface of the lake.

Water began to filter through the blades of the collar, into the slits his flesh and back out again, taking small traces of blood with it. It was extremely uncomfortable at first, feeling water surge past his muscles and inner walls of his neck, but soon he felt the oxygen reach his blood. His lungs were still, his mouth was closed, but he was breathing. Through artificial gills.

However, he was still uncomfortable. His body felt awkward and stiff. His vision was blurred, he kept swallowing on impulse, and even though he could technically breath, he felt like he would drown again anyway.

A shape flickered before him, the Zora's shimmered tale.

_Slow down! w_as the first thought that barked in his mind, watching the young creature shrink into the unknown depths in front of him, his water stung eyes only seeing a disappearing figure and immediately thinking the Zora would abandon him,

But soon it spun around and swam behind him and he realized it was enjoying itself, like a dance of power and mockery.

It spoke to him quickly and effortlessly through the water in its own language. He knew it was aware of the language barrier, but perhaps it was enjoying the expression of its culture that has been submerged for so many years.

"Let us hurry!" it finally muffled in a thick accent and whirled by him once again.

_Let us._

He followed the Zora for a while down and across the depths, which seem partially thick and suffocating. Even though the collar was giving oxygen, it felt fabricated and forced. All he wanted at that moment was to inhale deeply, to feel the clean and healthy sensation of air through his nose, but the thought made him panic when he knew he couldn't do so. He couldn't turn back now, up towards the depths, rip the collar out and off of him, and take a breath of air. Not now. Not with he Zora pulsing away with each flick of the tail.

"This way!" the Zora called.

About halfway through the lake, where it was its deepest and most daunting, a strange structure caught Link's eye, even though he restrained himself from glancing below at the darkened floor, like the consulting of oneself to not look down when afraid of height.

It was an under water fortress, a network of coral and stone that would never be found in a category of a mundane marine scripture. Even with the distance between him and the structure and his impaired eyesight, Link could still see how complex and intricate the structure must be. There were figures swimming in and around the structure habitually.

"Ignore that! Come this way!"

Although his curiosity was triggered, he had to follow the Zora. But soon realized where that Zora was going; a deep, dark tunnel that led into the land cliff walling the inside the lake. In this particular area of the body of water, there was no gradual shore that slowly dove downwards to create the floor of the lake. Instead it was an abrupt, perpendicular change from land to water. He began to feel worried, afraid even, that when he went into that tunnel, he wouldn't be able to get back out. He could tell that once he was in there, there'd be no near sign of air of land until he accomplished his next milestone, the Water Temple.

The Zora paused outside the tunnel and turned, waiting for him.

"You are coming, yes? You aren't afraid, are you?"

He felt a jolt of immature defense in his bones and shook his head violently.

"Then follow!"

He tried to separate his mind from his body, clear his thoughts and simply swim into the tunnel, like that was his sole purpose in life. It worked until he was a fourth into the underpass.

The tunnel was just as claustrophobic as he thought. He knew the haven of air wasn't above him anymore, not even the safety net of a pocket. The water seemed thicker and darker, the stone walls seemed to be closing in, and he kept imagining rocks piling into the entrance, entrapping the human with a wooden, artificial breathing device and a creature made for the water.

How awful it would be, he thought to himself as he swam stiffly after the Zora with the same experience and knowledge of a young fawn stumbling after its graceful mother. The rocks would echo a boom across the water to the two of them, tiny pebbles and sentiments would cloud their vision and the walls themselves would vibrate. And any source of pitiful light that was existence before would be gone, and it would be pitch black. Pitch black water. Even the mere thought disturbed him and sent chills across his skin and down his spine.

But the tunnel seemed to end before he thought, he could see the glimmer of a false mirror above them a few feet ahead; the surface.

When they broke it and felt the crisp bite of dry air, Link felt disappointed not to see a patch of comforting green grass or a single cloud. Just more claustrophobic cave, stone walls, and dripping ceilings. They were truly inside the land.

A beautiful temple made of marble, stone, and shell stood far back into the cave. Pillars of periwinkle stood before massive white gates and carvings on the walls were so intricate and stunning it seemed to be the work of the Gods themselves.

The Zora slugged onto the stone edge, flapping its tail to help itself up. He couldn't help but think it looked like a disturbing mutilation of a human and a fish as it flopped clumsily onto the stone.

Link followed it, feeling the familiar cramp of his lungs, like the air was poisoned. But as soon as he and the Zora were standing up on solid cave ground, it helped him remove the collar. That first breath felt so satisfying, he forgot that he was in a carved out inner cave of a mountain.

Once he could breath, really breath, he could focus his mind on the temple, which was so visually appealing he didn't consider the monsters and mind games that were waiting for him inside.

Link, deciding it was worth an attempt, asked if the Zora could come along and help him, but he got the same response as he predicted; he had to do this on his own. The Zora gave a crude Hylian farewell, obviously wanting to say more to the courageous human he idolized, but fell short in youthful frustration and turned to leave.

Link realized the Zora made a point of placing the collar in his hands and not taking the borrowed device back, making him wonder if he would have to use the horrid thing again.

Entering the temple wasn't difficult, with the exception of pushing open the massive stone doors that if he didn't build up his muscles working with the plow and on his own efforts, he wouldn't have been able to move.

And, like the Forest Temple, the first room was plain and simple, obviously the section open to the public for prayer. The section that used to open to the Hylian tourists. Religious scriptures were painted and carved onto the walls.

Again he had to figure out how to pass the barrier from accessible to hidden, beginning this process by probing every inch of the room, peeking behind the paintings, exploring the contents of the pots.

In one of those pots, he found a rare vile of medicine. Medicine that would be able to heal even the most severe wound or dull a fatal illness. He pocketed it and continued his search, but kept bringing feelings of giddiness to himself every time he remembered he had found it.

With no clear door or passage to the rest of the temple, he began to doubt the very existence of a mere extra room.

He actually began to pace in frustration, whimpering like a child, his short temper crippling him once again.

To make matters worse, his breath began to shorten, and he realized there must not be an abundance of oxygen to waste while buried under land, like a large, stone coffin.

He then he heard a youthful, muffled whimper from behind a pot. A simple grey-blue colored figure was cowering there, wounded. It was not human, but not Zorian either. It couldn't have been a more lucid organism with a round, proportionate head, two round eyes, arms, legs, feet, and nothing more. Smooth skin with no fins or scales, no hair, not even genitalia. But it stared at him with a pleading expression, blood beginning to seep out of its flesh and onto the floor. He went to it, not fearing the small creature in the slightest, especially with his drenched sword on his back.

He didn't know what to do, however, the moment it was in his arms. It was dying, that was clear. He was baffled he didn't see it before, it seemed impossible even. And why this creature was here, bleeding for that matter with no sharp objects or other lifeforms in sight, was a mystery. But his unanswered questions didn't matter at that moment, whatever it was it was dying.

After staring at it doltishly, he reluctantly came to the conclusion that he would have to give up his prize possession at the moment, the medicine. He applied it to the creature, the wound immediately healing. The creature stood up now, smiling softly both with the slit above its chin and the deep appreciation in its eyes.

Seconds later, with a blinding beam of blue tinted light, it began to morph into something entirely different. It stayed in this mythical form of light and gracefully floated across the room, effortlessly seeping through the main mural. The entire mural seemed to dull in color except for a particular section. The figures that were painted in this section seemed random, tops of heads, elbows penetrating the outline, perhaps a wisp of cloth. But the shape of this section that was illuminated by a bluish glow was of a hand. He immediately knew what he had to do.

When he did place his hand against the wall, it perfectly filling in the outline, as if it was made for him, his Triforce glowed through his glove once again. And, with the assistance of the strange soul, an opening appeared behind the pulpit. The second he noticed this, the light digressed from the spot in the wall and slipped through the opening into the temple.

Link felt a smile creep onto his face. Perhaps he would be assisted after all.

The first thing he noticed when he entered the temple was how large it was. Tall, spacious, open. The pure white colors of the marble created an artificial light. It was a massive main room that appeared to have a long core, like a spine. It was made of more white marble and shell and had multiple levels, which each branched out randomly into multiple bridges that lead to doors which obviously lead to rooms. It was interesting to Link how some doors didn't have a bridge that paired with it, leaving it attached onto the wall like a painting high above his head with no way to access it. It made him cringe, wondering if he would have to manipulate the core somehow if he couldn't reach the isolated doors any other way.

The next thing that caught his eye was a chiseled warning in a stone podium, both in Zoria and Hylain.

_Caution to the those who wish to take on the challenge set by the Gods:_

_Due to the recent submersion of this temple, there is an extreme lack of oxygen in this enclosed structure. Affirm an alternative source or prepare to leave as soon as deemed necessary for survival. Estimated amount of time for the first challenger: 5 hours._

_*Note this is the maximum initial amount of oxygen, if you followed another, there will be an uncertain amount of depletion._

Link bit his lip so hard he began to break the skin. He already felt trapped underneath the earth, but now he was timed, at least in the areas above water. He was almost certain he was the first one to be in this hidden section of the temple since submersion, but that couldn't comfort him.

And to make matters worse, his helper seemed to disappear.

The temple definitely tested his intelligence. He knew he couldn't approach it like he did the Forest, barbarically trying to cover the most ground and defeat every monster he came across. The Water Temple was simply too large and he just didn't have enough time. He needed to have a plan.

Of course he did have to suffer through some painful trail and error in order to understand the mechanics of the mysterious structures and gears. But he also never let himself forget a door that was locked or a passage he couldn't reach, knowing something, somewhere would lead him to it eventually. He also had to pick and chose what enemies to waste his efforts on. Although it seemed to contradict the virtues he recently gained, he found himself retreating time and time again when he spotted a dark soul or some other troublesome creature at a time of inconvenience. He would stop, spin around, and trot away, tail between his legs.

He also had to sacrifice his longing to explore and gain. If he knew he didn't need a particular weapon, tool or key, he reluctantly ignored an appealing chest that was bound to hold treasure. He learned that from a crippling experience. He knew he didn't need a key or a tool in a certain room, considering the door in his sight was already unlocked, but he took the extra time to reach a chest anyway, thinking it was better to be thorough when conquering a room. But when, after ten minutes, the prize was an ill satisfying five rupees, he learned to narrow his goals.

But the more ground he explored, the more complicated the temple became, and he began to panic, not sure if he would be able to conquer something so complex in so little time.

He purposely left the underwater regions untouched, knowing he would have his trusty collar when the time came. But he knew there was a possibility that even if he combed every dry region of the temple in time and retreated to the watery portions, he may have to return to the surface, knowing that the temples often forced him to retrace his steps.

He ended up drawing up a map separate from the one he found, drawing in lines and frustrating marks. Despite his awful temper, he forced himself to calm down, knowing he was just wasting more oxygen when his breaths increased.

He had to take chances with his time and his efforts, not having enough time to play out multiple options, he had to put all of his faith in his primal instinct. But he also had to remain cautious and be wiser than he ever thought he could be at the same time, making the experience contradicting, mentally draining, and tedious.

**ALSO**

**If you guys want to see some ATL art of go to my Deviant Art account (LinksLily with no apostrophe) to see art I did of ATL, traditional art, and art i did for Silence is Golden! if u like it and want me to do some fan art for you, I'd love to! Also see K'ger's account! She did some awesome fan art for ATL too.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	28. Chapter 28: Keep Calm and Act Strong

_**Chapter 28: Keep Calm and Act Strong**_

The most excoriating part of the temple was having to keep an eye on the rotating core. When he first laid eyes on it, Link crudely thought that he would be able to move it himself, perhaps by a switch or gear, but he was wrong. The core moved by itself, extremely slowly. He first noticed this rotation after completing a room on the second floor, something he had his eyes on the moment he finished the rooms on the ground floor, the easiest ones. He traveled up the stairwell that was hidden within the core and easily strolled across the second story bridge towards the door which was luckily unlocked. He spent around 15 minutes in this room, digging around for keys and finding mechanics that allowed him to work other mechanics in another room he kept buried in the back of his mind. So he left the room quite satisfied, key in pocket and next move well in check. But the second he stepped out of the room, he gasped and threw his arms out to the side, catching himself on the frame of the door. His foot fell straight through the air. Thankfully he caught himself before falling to a hard stone ground and awkwardly stretched his left foot outward onto the bridge, which was now a few feet to the left. He took a few quick breaths, awed.

The core was moving on its own. Link bit his lip and let out a muffled whine. How was he supposed to keep track of it? He soon answered his own question, however, when he crossed back through the core to the bridge on the other side, where he found no bridge at all. It was half the length of one, not reaching the wall of the temple, and had a distinct structure at the end of it. When he approached it, he saw a pendulum ticking back and forth quickly. Above it was a dial, moving steadily. He waiting for the dial to reach the end of its cycle then counted the number of times the pendulum ticked. He counted 60. When he looked back up at the dial, it had made another rotation. He quickly realized it was a clock. The pendulum for seconds, the dial for minutes, and he finally concluded that the core rotated every hour.

Although it was yet another thing to worry about, at least it allowed him to keep track of his time. Now he knew he had a little more than 4 hours. A little more than four rotations.

He marked down the rooms that he couldn't reach with the core the way it was and calculated how much time he would have to spend in each room before he missed the bridge. Otherwise, he would have to waste another hour of precious oxygen for it to come around again.

Plus, he needed to keep track of when certain rooms would become available. The rooms themselves were difficult on their own, finding out when and were and in how much time he could reach them seemed next to impossible.

Finally, it came down to that last room. That one giant room with that daunting lock. It was the last room above the water…in fact, it was the last room period. He actually wasted a few minutes of oxygen to figure out some underwater regions, except for one deep region towards the main door. He had been avoiding it, but now he realized he had no choice. So with about a rotation and a half left, he dove underwater, collar fastened around his neck.

* * *

><p>The region was difficult and he knew for an absolute fact he was spending way too much time under there.<p>

Luckily he gained the large key while he was down there and surprisingly unlocked a small room above water which lead to a large chest.

He emerged, removed the collar, and glanced at the core. It was about 10 minutes away from its last rotation. He had 10 minutes left.

_FUCK._

He opened the large chest to find boots, the heels made of thick, heavy iron. His face fell.

_What the fuck?!_

He found himself lugging the boots up the stairs, across the bridge to the main door, thinking it would be idiotic to leave behind such an odd item. The bridge was far away from the doors however, making him have to first throw the boots across onto the ledge, then jump himself. He barely made it.

He merely grasped the ledge, having to pull himself up. He was running out of time if the bridge was that far away from the door. That, and he was running out of air. His breaths felt muffled and thick.

Seconds later, he took air in, but only found thick air that he couldn't breath anymore. He was officially out of oxygen, standing before the main door. He felt crushing failure in his gut. He was too late. He couldn't run out of oxygen now, not right before the main room.

He unlocked it anyway, frantically. On the second floor, he didn't have enough time to exit the temple and go back under the lake. And if he did that, he could never return to the airless temple and he would have failed terribly.

So he unlocked the main doors, holding his breath, and dragged the boots inside with him. It was idiotic to think that he could still defeat the temple, but after all that planning and logistics, it was an idiotic move of stubbornness and chance that was his salvation. His sacrifice paid off, for there was a deep patch of water in the center of the main room.

He acted quickly. First he put on his collar, ignoring the familiar pain of the collar slicing open his skin. Then he put on the boots. Next, with his last ounce of energy, he dragged himself over the edge of the small lake and allowed himself to sink to the bottom, enjoying the new oxygen in his brain.

* * *

><p>On the floor of this new lake, he waited. His boots weighed him down, his collar gave him life, and for the first time in a while, he was actually wasting time waiting for something to happen. His head was pounding. He was exhausted, starving, and to make matters worse, it was pretty dark.<p>

He could still make out basic shapes, a few broken pillars here and there, but paired with his poor underwater vision, he felt like he had a major disadvantage to whatever this last room had to offer him.

There soon was a shimmer of hope, however, for the beaming golden light from before appeared, illuminating part of the temple's floor. Link honestly didn't really know how to react. This mysterious soul had helped him before, but the eerie way it remained motionless made him concerned.

At before he knew it, his suspicions were proven correct. The illumines glow it used to carry suddenly turned to a neon, electric blue, as if it had been self activated. It then flew away from him and embedded itself into the earthy floor, like a frightened rodent. Seconds later, the ground rumbled and a massive, elongated shape emerged from underground. Link felt his body tense at the immense size of the unknown object. As the earth that once clung to its skin disintegrated off, he could see it was alive, carrying the shape of a marine animal, had illuminated scales and details that held the same neon color as the soul, and on its head laid a stem and on the end of it, a glowing orb of blue light. At first Link thought it had to be an eel or a strange under water dragon, but he realized it was a barracuda, an animal that would be relatively mundane if it wasn't for color scheme or the fact that it was the size of a small whale.

It noticed him immediately with black, lifeless eyes and hissed at him, exposed long and thin teeth.

He took a mental breathe, not being able to literally breath, and put his trust in the Gods. If he was meant to conquer this temple and this beast, he would. Or at least that's what he hoped.

* * *

><p>Luckily, Link was able to learn a lot through out the battle, information so vital that if he didn't discover it sooner than he had, he would certainly have perished.<p>

The first and most obvious factor was that the monstrous fish seemed to be attracted to light, making it have a major disadvantage from the start, constantly following the orb in front of its face in a useless pursuit.

About five minutes into the battle, which mostly consisted of Link avoiding the body of the fish as it swam around disoriented, he noticed the first time that the orb seemed to dim out naturally, making the fish break out of its trance and head for him; the slow moving meal below its feet. It being the first thing to reach him as the fish lunched downward, he impulsively swung at the orb. He then realized if he struck the orb just right, it would illuminate again for a certain amount of time allowing him to strike the distracted beast with his sword.

There were other factors beside the mere game of the mouse distracting the cat. He also had to be smart about wearing the boots. He was more vulnerable floating around in front of the beast like a worm on a hook but he couldn't get a good shot at the orb below the beast either. He also had to be cautious about using his sword, for the light that flickered onto the blade caught the attention of the beast when the orb was dimmed, making the attempt to strike the orb more dangerous and dire. He ended up having to find a balance between using his hook shot to strike the orb then his sword to harm the distracted fish. Even though he figured this out relatively quickly, it was still a difficult battle. The fish was so large it took a lot to harm it, even in its weak point. It was also faster in the water and if Link didn't strike the orb quick enough, it attacked him easily. He was extremely tired and wounded, he could see his own blood seep out of his skin and stain the water, but he simply gritted his teeth and pushed on. He had no other choice than to fight, so he decided he would give it all he got, whether he claimed victory or death.

But fate seemed to be on his side. Every strike seemed to do more and more damage. The more he ignored his pain and weakness, the more strength he gained. The more he pushed on, the less obstacles faced him. And soon, the fish fell to the ground, wounded and one last strike from death.

He approached it, nearly giddy that he was seconds from leaving this dreadful temple and partly shocked he was able to take down such a beast. He had never felt more weak yet so powerful.

The privilege of a satisfying death blow was taken away him for before he could kill it, the light from the creature went out on its own, and the orb left the now lifeless body and returned to its original state.

It seemed to glow prettier now, as if silently congratulating him for completing the test it created for him. It began to move to a certain spot on the stone wall. He followed it, convinced it would now lead him out after he defeated the beast. And alas, it blended once again into the wall, a sure sign that it was out to help him like before. The wall then crumbled, as if the light pried apart every crack in the stone, and another tunnel was revealed. Once a daunting entrance to an unknown challenge became a barbaric solution in Link's eyes: a way out. He was so overjoyed to exit the temple, he didn't even notice the second triangle burning bright on his hand.

* * *

><p>The tunnel lead him upwards until he broke the surface and found himself in yet another enclosed cave within the mountain, no way out. However, it didn't faze him as much as one would think, him already being used to the claustrophobic treatment. He pulled him self out of the water tunnel and immediately took off his collar, enabling him to take a satisfying breath of air. Seconds later, the rock in front of him crumbled again with the soul's light and revealed the land before him. Grass, trees, blue sky, slightly stained with the magenta and orange hues of a sunset. Link had never seen anything more appealing in his life. When he exited the mountain side and stepped out onto the trail, a traveling farmer passing by stopped and stared at him with wide eyes.<p>

"Where the hell did you come from?!"

* * *

><p>The farmer couldn't do much to help Link. He was only making a short trip, not carrying any food or supplies that Link desperately needed. The only thing he could do was lead him back to the lake where he hope his companions were waiting for him.<p>

Zelda and Arthur were both sitting on a boat docked by the shore of the lake. They had new clothes on their backs and empty food wrappers by their side, obviously taking advantage of the lake's abundance while waiting. They constantly checked the waters surface while carrying out small talk that Link imagined had to be awkwardly one sided with a pair like Arthur and Zelda. Arthur obviously would be trying to spark a humorous conversation while Zelda answered the questions he asked but not with the same enthusiasm he was hoping for. They were waiting for him to emerge from the same spot he entered the lake, making them whip their heads around in surprise when Link called out for them. He almost found it humorous how they would confusingly look back and forth between him and the spot on the lake.

Zelda approached him first, her personality becoming warmer every time she spoke to Link, constantly changing the way he first perceived her.

"Are you okay? You're hurt. And you must be exhausted! What do you need?"

"I'm starving."

Even though he was also extremely parched and in need of a good sleep, the sight of the empty food wrappers drew attention to the rumbling in his gut.

Zelda smiled. "Okay we can get you food….but, I'm so sorry, Arthur and I ate all the food we bought, thinking you'd get back in time for us to buy you more! But now the sun's going down and we don't have a place to stay here. Can you wait until we make camp on the trail and cook a piece of game?"

_No. _"Yes."

"And I'm no medic but I'm sure I can easily stitch up that wound for you when we rest."

"That's fine, it doesn't hurt that bad."

It did but he decided he could wait.

* * *

><p>Link blamed Arthur for his head ache and silently cursed him as he searched for game. Even though all the vagabond did all day was lounge around a lake, he refused to go hunting, claiming his shot was terrible. Link also recalled Arthur bragging about his shot, one had to be false. Link's head was pounding so hard that he could feel the veins pump heavily when he place his finger to his temple. It hurt even more than his freshly stitched wound. It was the kind of horrible migraine that saturated the pain in a certain spot, making the skull feel too small for the brain. But Link kept repeating to himself that as soon as he got a rabbit in his gut and a few hours of sleep, he would be fine. He just had to make it to that spot by the fire where he could rest. And this goddamn rabbit nibbling on the brush in front of him was the only thing keeping him from getting back. He shot it, barely.<p>

To his surprise, the camp was empty when he returned.

He walked towards the center of the site, passing by Zelda's blanket, where something white caught his eye. He bent down to observe it, picking it up between his two fingers delicately. It was a petal, a white petal with stripe of violet.

"Shit."


	29. Chapter 29: Warmed Blood

**Chapter 33: Warmed Blood**

"What's up?"

Link turned to see a familiar face, a stunning, youthful one that made his stomach churn. He stood up and scanned his surroundings. He left his sword beside his matt, across the fire.

"I know you must be absolutely _thrilled _to see me again," the girl said, taking a few steps toward him. Her legs were a shaped silhouette against the flames.

Link knew exactly what to do. "Why are you here?"

She crossed her arms and shrugged. "I had some shit I had to get done. Sinal was-...eh, doesn't matter."

"Where're my friends?"

"You have friends?"

Link smirked, throwing her a bone, as he strolled to the other side of the fire. The two of them found themselves in a strange stand off, both circling the fire and facing each other.

"Cuz you strike me as someone who lives alone," she continued.

"Rather live alone then be insane."

"I don't see a big difference. And it's not that bad, you should try it some time."

"What's it like? Being insane?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're stalling."

"What makes you think that?"

"You're asking questions with answers who don't care for."

"What makes you think I don't care about the answers?"

"Because your soul lacks curiosity! You couldn't care less about the unknown! How horribly in-passionate!"

"It is true that I couldn't care less about how your rotten mind works. I know your mind is wicked and wrong and that's the only information I need."

"You arrogant ass!"

"Am I wrong?"

"No! But don't act like you're so positive you're right!"

"Where's Zelda?!"

"So now the arrogant and ignorant hero wants answers only a slut can provide."

"I'll make you tell me!"

"Oooo, you'll _make _me? How so?"

"I'm stronger now."

"Are you though?"

"Yes, I am. I've gone through two temples now."

She clapped slowly. "Oh, good job. You solved some puzzles. You're definitely ready to save the world now.

Don't brag about that hero. You're behind schedule. And not in a matter of weeks or months or temples, in years!"

"What do you mean?" Link glanced downwards. His sword was now beside his foot.

"None of the past heroes were as old as you. You should have gotten a head start 10 years ago."

"Bullshit," he scoffed. "The legend is not meant to be taken literally, not word for word."

"That is what you call the grey matter of religion, it's all a matter of opinion. I'm sure your little princess would disagree."

He swiftly bent down and swiped his sword. But the moment he straightened himself, his enemy was not in front of him. This was close to impossible, he looked away for a mere 5 seconds.

He was shoved to the ground from behind. He managed to flip himself on his back but her weight fell on him before he could get up. A knife was in her hand, of course. It found its way to his neck. His sword was no where to be seen.

"Get off," he croaked, not being able to come up with anything else.

She began to squirm onto of him. "Nah, not yet."

He swallowed, clenched his jaw, and squeezed his foot muscles. "Tell me where Zelda is."

She childishly blew the strands of hair covering her eyes and ticked her head, refusing to remove her hands or tail to brush them away properly. "Why do you keep asking about her. She's not even that attractive."

He began to thrash. She wouldn't slice his throat, she wouldn't kill him. What fun would that be?

"Stop it!" she hissed and pressed her weight on his wrists. "Stop that now! If you behave I might tell you what you want to hear!"

He fell still.

"There we go, nice and still," she sat up slightly, still sitting on top of Link and holding the knife to his throat. "You know, hero, I feel like we have a…_connection_ somehow. Maybe I knew you in another life? I know it seems silly but it can't just be me who feels this way," she leaned down again, her face close to his. He glared coldly back at her. He wasn't sure if the sweet scent of the lily was playing a part, but his head began to throb again and his eyes began to sink with exhaustion. She smiled centimeters from his face and placed two fingers against his temple. He felt his veins pulse against her tips.

"Aw, someone's tired…and I think I hear your stomach growling. I bet you're really stressed, aren't you?"

He just stared back.

She brought her voice down to a gentle whisper and cooed "I can help release some of that stress for you," right before kissing him softly, delicately, and sweetly on the tip of his nose.

Although naturally infatuated by her, he turned his neck to the side, so her lips were now close to the side of his ear rather than close to his. She giggled and placed them against his ear and said, her lips stroking his ridges, "You're so weak." He felt her tongue slip inside and he squirmed.

"You're a coward," he growled.

She sat up and cocked her head. "How so?"

"I could beat you if you were brave enough to actually fight me."

"Yes, if it's brute strength you would probably win. But me using my strengths to my advantage is not me being a coward, it's me being smart. It's...not fair if it's just brute strength. Just cuz I don't want to loose doesn't mean I'm a coward! There's no rule book or code of honor that I'm defying...well, just in terms of a fight that is."

"What is it you want with me? If you did something with Zelda, why come back to tell me? Why not just leave while you're ahead?"

"Well, first of all, it's kinda fun. Second of all, Zelda isn't my only goal. I still have to kill you."

…..You're weak. I'm going to kill you. I feel it in my bones. I'm meant to….But it has to be done slowly," she ran a hand up his chest, her fingers digging underneath the fold in his tunic. He kept his attention locked ahead, even when she began to fiddle with his collar, her fingers grazing his neck. "It would be a triumph moment. A historic moment. A break in the chain. It needs to be savored. Remembered, no?"

"….Why do you want to kill me?"

"It's more like a _need." _

_"_Why do you need to kill me? Why do you feel the need to be involved in this?"

"Nobody chooses to be involved in this," she sneered, suddenly violent and sincere. "There are certain things we need to do in order to claim victory. To claim success in life. We all have goals. This is mine. This is my _life_ goal, what I'm supposed to do. This is what I need to do."

"That's pathetic!" he snapped. "Why do you care so much? What makes you so special? What makes you different from the other dark souls?"

"Poor thing, your memory must be wandering because I already told you I am not a fucking dark soul! You need to be killed! I'm gonna rip your throat out and give it to Sinal as a gift! He'll use it to seep his fucking tea you weak little worm!

The sooner you die, the sooner we can all go home and retire from this damn war. It's not even a war anymore, it's a fucking massacre. The sooner _you _die, the sooner we can claim this pitiful land and rebuild it in our glory."

"_Our _glory? You mean _their _glory_! _If you're not a dark soul than what are you? Are you just fighting with them because you're a coward?!

She tightened her grip once again and gritted her teeth. Her face was close to him once again, part in anger part in lust. "Shut the fuck up. I'm willing to play my part. Sinal trusts me, not them! Not those mental patients! They're fucking insane! I'm the only one smart enough to kill you, that's why I need to do it!" She was full on screaming now, making his head do the same. "They need me! _ME!_ No one else!"

She took a breath, as if calming herself.

"And I'll kill you…." she breathed, sweet and softly. Her eyes left his and glanced downwards, he couldn't tell if she was staring at his neck or lips. "Or maybe I won't have to right away, if you'll be sweet and cooperative. Maybe it can wait until later…"

He felt his stomach lift at her words and his blood warm. He tried to focus on something else, like the boulder across the campsite. But all the subtle movements she made made that nearly impossible. He took a breath and turned his head again. How could something be so revolting and yet the exact opposite?

"I'm sick of your games. Either let me up and fight me or leave me alone, there's no in-between!"

She cocked her head. "Aw, I wouldn't be so mean. Don't you want to know where Zelda is?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"Link?" he heard Arthur's call. He came blundering out of the forest barrier, swatting at an insect that swarmed around his head. "Link, uh…" Arthur stood there, dagger in hand, frozen at the sight.

She cocked his head at him. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Who the fuck are _you?!" _

His enemy smirked at Link, the kind of playful, friendly, knowledge smirk that two friends would share or a mother would give a child, and asked, "Is he your lover?"

Link squirmed in frustration. "ERG! ARTHUR HELP!"

Arthur stumbled for a second. "I-"

His enemy swiftly lifted the blade off Link's neck and flung it towards Arthur. It deeply singed his shin.

"AH!" he cried and fell down to grip the wound in pain. He lifted his head towards Link's enemy and snapped, "_Bitch give me a second!_"

She groaned and leapt off Link. "Fine I'll do you first." She drew a thin sword from her belt and smirked towards Arthur, "And _you _I can kill quickly. I don't give a shit about you."

Link scrambled to his feet and clumsily reached for his sword. Arthur backed up frantically and attempting to reach for a weapon. She overpowered him easily though, tackling him to the ground with a hiss and her sword in her hand.

"LinkLinkLinkLink LINK!" Arthur cried and covered his eyes and she lifted it to strike him to death.

Link, sword in grip, threw his blade down. It left only a shallow slit, but it was still enough to throw her off.

Arthur then stretched his arm out and grabbed her own dagger and swiftly stabbed her shoulder, the blade only slightly breaching her skin. She leapt off of him and regained her step, now gripping her bloody wound. Arthur and Link stood side by side, sword and dagger in their grip, both pointed at her.

She gave a breathless smile and chirped, "When's the wedding?"

They both lunged forward in anger, igniting a battle. She did hold her own well, swift and quick on her feet, constantly sweeping behind and even below them. But Arthur and Link were frustrated and outnumbered her, especially with the battle strategy and skill Link was beginning to master.

When she fell back again, breathless, she showed signs of defeat.

Link smirked. "I guess your plan to kill me was interrupted."

She pointed a finger at him and snapped, "Hey! In my defense, I didn't expect there to be two of you! I only thought there'd be a whiny, blonde haired bitch!…..and the princess too."

Arthur smirked.

Link tightened his grip on his sword that he held up to her. "Where is she?"

She smiled. "Oh you should have seen her, hero, or Link, fucking weird name by the way. She was so taken off guard and scared. As if she _knew_ the hell that lays before her!"

He lunged forward to attack, but Arthur snatched the collar of his undershirt and held him back.

When Link looked at him for an explanation, he warned, "She's the only one who knows where Zelda is."

His enemy gave an impressed smile his way. "Look at you, thinking ahead." She raised an eyebrow at Link. "Unlike you. Too impulsive! That will get you in a lot of trouble!" She glanced at Arthur again and casually chimed, "I bet he has a temper too."

Arthur nodded, quickly receiving an icy glare.

His enemy left out a rumbling cackle, sighed, and cooed with a threatening yet playful glance, "Oh my gods that's perfect."

"ANSWER!" Link barked.

"It's a shame hero, really, you'll have to travel back to where you started. 2 steps forward, 2 steps back," she made a point of plucking the lily out of her hair and sniffed it. "But at least you can relive a few moments."

Link narrowed his eyes, immediately understanding.

His enemy winced theatrically. "Was that too easy?"

He turned his head to Arthur. "Where were you when this happened?"

Arthur scoffed. "I-…You left to go hunting and you were taking a while and I wanted to go with you-"

"So you left her alone?!"

"I thought she could handle herself! She said she could! She was the one who told me to go check on you!"

"W-" when Link turned his attention back to his enemy, she was gone. He lowered his sword and muttered, "Shit."

"What do we do now?" Arthur asked as Link walked over to their horses.

"We go find her."

"Great, let's just wander into the mountains until we find the broad!" Arthur scoffed as Link handed him his reins.

"I have a place in mind."

"Are we just leaving that there?"

Link followed his finger to the dead, uncooked rabbit on the ground.

"Leave it. We need to get going."

Arthur gestured ahead. "Lead the way."

* * *

><p>"At least you're only one away from getting the sword," Arthur said after Link explained to him the tortures of the water temple. The sun began to rise as they entered the forest region after a full night of traveling.<p>

At first Link assumed he would simply travel back to the forest temple, but the path was sealed off and there was no sign of someone reentering the area. He and Arthur were frustrated for a moment, tired and exhausted. Eventually, they became extremely annoyed with each other's company and decided to split up. Arthur searched the forest area while Link took on the village.

It was disturbing peaceful. So much so that he began to worry that he misread his enemy's hint, or if she told him the wrong location on purpose. But then why would she give him a hint in the first place?

He had gotten used to his headache by this point as he prodded his way through the village and finally noticed a thick patch of lilies in front of an abandoned cathedral.

Link walked into the cathedral slowly and found it completely dark, except for a single natural light source from an opening in the ceiling lighting a small portion in the center of the room. Under the light was Zelda, sitting on the ground tied up. Her eyes were red and puffy, her skin was slightly bruised, and her hair was mangled. "Link!" she called softly. He hurried over to her and untied her as quickly as possible, his hands shaking. She immediately pulled him down and hugged him. He stiffened. "Thank gods you're here."

"What happened?" he asked, worming out of her grip.

She didn't respond.

Seconds later, she pushed away and looked around. He kneeled there by her on one knee, waiting for he to explain something. But instead she dropped her voice low and said with stern intense eyes, "I don't like this."

Link narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"She took me here for a reason" she said, now gripping his tunic in anxiety. "It just seems too easy."

He pondered her words and looked around. She had a point. It was too easy. Why would they leave her alone? Even though he knew from the second his enemy gave him a hint there was a strong possibility it was all a trap, he still had to get Zelda back.

And it was so quiet. They couldn't see anything to the sides of the cathedral, except for the golden lining of the torches that shimmered in the dark. They sat there, frozen for a few moments.

"W-"

_Thump thump thump. _

They both turned slightly to the far left corner of the room to scarcely see a dark soul that had a well build, tall structure and carried the appearance of a bald man, who it used to be. It was rhythmically and violently hitting its forehead against the wall, a dark spot of blood revealing itself. Its arms laid dead by its side, the only movement it made was hinging its torso back and forth.

They stood still and watched it. The thumping was the only sound.

"Was that-?"

"No, that wasn't here before."

It stopped a moment, keeping its attention on the wall.

And it was silent again for a few more seconds.

"Leave me alone!" a female voice screeched and made them both violently flinched. Zelda bumped into Link and buried her shoulder into his chest, the dark soul being closest to her in the opposite corner of the room. It seemed to be pulling out its own hair.

"NO!" another appeared. And another. All screaming. All crying. Another voice sounded. And another and another until there had to be a hundred different voices. It was so loud and so chaotic, Link and Zelda covered their ears.

"I DON'T WANNA!"

"I WANT MY MOTHER!"

"Link!" Zelda cried helpless, her voice drowned out. Her just held on to her with his free arm and looked around in panic.

His enemy's voice was one of them. She stepped out into the light before them and attempted to speak to Link and Zelda. Of course they couldn't hear her as she spoke. She rolled her eyes and screamed louder than the others. "OH MY FUCKING GODS SHUT UUUUUUUUP!" she screeched the last word so loud and high pitched, it was enough to make the old deaf. The cathedral fell relatively quiet, with a few rebellions muttering to the side.

She rubbed her temples as the two of them waited for her to speak. "These things get annoying fast. Anyway, have you figured all this out hero? You didn't really think I'd show up alone and try to kill you? I mean I could, but that's not fool proof."

She suddenly struck a match and walked to the side of the room, towards an old torch. "You know, you said it was their victory, that I was alone in this…but you were wrong!" She lit the bright torch, illuminating the cathedral. A few dark souls hissed at the light and stepped backwards.

Zelda gasped and coiled into Link chest, this was a useless gesture, of course, for he felt as defenseless as she did. When they looked around and above them, there, on each floor, were dark souls. They looked down on them like vultures, lined up and hunched over. Their dark eyes shown like black mica and their hisses and mumbling echoed through the walls of the church. The demons were cousins to gargoyles; stone still with evil faces. Zelda and Link whipped their heads to catch site of every dark soul that towered over them. The dark souls remained still, watching their every move.

"So," his enemy began in a casual tone. "I'm gonna go ahead and take her for Sinal so she can become as fucked up as these things…" she shot Zelda a smile. "Would you like that Zelda? Would you like to become insane?"

Link could hear her breaths.

"And these dark souls will kill you, hero. See? I thought this shit out."

The dark souls began to squirm, eyes locked on Link.

"You see hero, you can train insane minds like a dogs. Their brains are like clay I can mold. They crave routine. If I give them a clear goal, a clear target, they will attack it when commanded and I will reward them like I made them believe."

Zelda squeezed his arm. It was her way of telling him to think of something.

His eyes scanned the floor. They couldn't just turn around and leave, not with the dark souls ready to murder them.

"How cute," his enemy growled as she drew her sword. "You two are trying to figure out a way to get out of here. I'm gonna take her out of your arms hero," she teased. "I'll take her out of them easily. And I'll make sure Hyrule knows how easy it was. You were right here, sword in hand and you _failed._"

Link's heart raced as an idea came to him. Without thinking it through, at all, he whipped out his bow and arrow. His enemy flinched forward, ready to fight or call on her servants, but he instead shot it at the torch, causing it to fall over and immediately set the cheap wooden floor on fire.

The dark souls all screeched at the site. His enemy calmly pursed her lips and watched the flames grow, as if judging his odd action. A few dark souls were so distraught at the site, they took flight and escaped through the crack in the ceiling. The action of few encourage the rest of them to follow and they all swarmed out, like bees out of a nest.

The ones who couldn't fly just cowered in the corners and cried.

Link began to back up, leading Zelda towards the door with him.

"That was your plan?" his enemy questioned with a cock head, thousands of demon silhouettes shooting into the air behind her. She kept her expression calm and ahead, like she wasn't aware of the growing flames or the animal behavior behind her. "Gods you must be more sleep deprived than I thought."

He glanced behind him at the door as his enemy took more steps towards them.

"You do know…" she began. "The doors locked, right? I mean if you'd rather be engulfed by flames then be ripped apart I guess I understand that."

They both widened their eyes and Link felt his stomach sink. In a desperate attempt to escape, they flung themselves at the doors, but it wouldn't budge.

Smoke filled the air and their lungs, painfully, and caused them to cough. Instead of focusing on an escape all they could do was cough and miserably attempt to control the pain in their lungs.

Someone had to notice the building on fire. Link called out for help.

"Oh help, help!" his enemy imitated in a high pitched voice followed by fake crying, which was disturbing realistic. Her face was illuminated by the glow of the fire, yet her eyes still managed to remain black and lifeless. "Help me! Please, gods! Help me! Oh gods please, please! Please!"

His body was failing him. His vision was blurring and spotting. His head hurt. Although he thought he was missing sleep and a good meal, above all else, he was dehydrated.

His enemy approached them and ripped Zelda from Link's arms violently. He lunch forward, but fell coughing on the ground pitifully, a shameful sight. "Ah, we can't let you die, can we Princess?" his enemy cooed into her eye. Zelda whimpered and turned her head away.. "Your ours now." Link coughed violently on the ground and attempted to stand. He felt his enemy's foot push him back to the floor. "Now just stay here and die," she growled. "Your efforts were appreciated." She shot into the air and left the temple through the ceiling sky light, Zelda in her arms.

For a moment, he was left alone in the flames. He couldn't breath anymore and he was seconds from passing out.

He didn't hear or notice the bodies breaking down the locked door.

Among the discomfort of his body, he felt hands on his chest. Two familiar faces were leaning over him.

"Link? Stay with me…"


	30. Chapter 30: Swollen Bellies

_**Chapter 30: Swollen Bellies**_

When Link awoke and sat up, he nearly hit Saria. A medicine-soaked cloth was in her hand as she sat by his bed side. It reeked of alcohol and vinegar. She was gripping it hard.

"Oh," she seemed embarrassed. "Hi."

To him, the small room was on fire. "Where am I?!"

"Back in Kiorki. Calm down. You're safe. It's alright"

"No it's not! You're lying! They're not alright!"

"What? Who?"

Link blinked. "I-..."

"Shhh, calm down."

He sat up, resting a hand on his weary head.

She pushed him back against the head board, apparently not embarrassed anymore. He squirmed under her hand. Her skin was soft, it didn't fit his rough skin. He was corroding it. She didn't know it. He lightly pushed her wrist away. "Please don't do that."

She lifted her hand. "Sorry. But please calm down. You're hurt."

He didn't feel anything. But he could see it. Red patches laid on his bare chest under his chin. Three of them. "I feel okay."

"Well...you're not."

Arthur burst in the room. "How's lover boy?"

Link flinched.

The door was so antiquated Link was surprised it didn't disintegrate right there and then.

"Awake," Saria replied firmly.

Link looked down past his chest towards the blanket around his waist. He wondered how much attention he would call to himself if he reached down and pulled it over him. It was too late, he decided.

Arthur smiled brightly at Link, a charming smile that would make a girl blush. It just made him unsettled. "I like the mark."

"My mark?" he felt for his glove. It was still there. Thank Hylia.

Arthur tapped his own cheek with his finger. "Your face is burned."

"What?!" The scar on his right cheek laid just below his eye. It felt rough and soft at the same time. He didn't like the feel of it.

"Don't worry." Saria dipped her fingers into a small jar of cream."It could have been much worse."

He watched her fingers, contemplating what she thought she was doing. Interesting to him, how such a shy, sweet thing could push her boundaries so drastically.

"It's a small scar..." she said. Her fingers creeped closer. If he was a dog he'd be growling.

"It didn't ruin any of your features." The cream was freezing. The blood from his lip tasted salty. He inched his way up the headboard. She noticed but was too uncomfortable to acknowledge it.

"I wish I had one," Arthur chirped cheerfully in the background. "A scar like that. It's a mark of pride. All men should have one. I just wished mine was somewhere the public could see."

Link and Saria wrinkled their noses.

"I'm sorry you hurt yourself so badly. Mind me asking how?"

_Yes. _"It's kind of a long story. I don't really want to talk about it."

"That's okay. You don't have to."

He glanced around the room for a moment. "I have to leave soon."

"I thought you'd say that," Arthur bit into an apple that materialized out of thin air and leaned against the wall. "As soon as our lovely doctor here is done working her miracles we can leave."

Link was slightly disappointed Arthur didn't pick up on the 'I' part of his sentence.

"You're lucky I was there, ass." Maybe he did. "If it weren't for me you'd be a pile of ash right now."

"Well I-"

"Just say thank you."

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome."

Link then noticed Saria was staring at him with the most peculiar expression. "What?"

"Do you think I could come with you?"

He nearly laughed. "You can't be serious."

Her cheeks lit up like the sun.

Link frowned. "I-it's just...I can't imagine why anyone would _volunteer_ for something like this. I still don't get why Arthur is so set on staying."

Arthur swung his apple back and forth in the air. "For the adventure of it?"

"Doesn't seem like a good enough reason," Link growled.

"Actually," Saria began as she treated the last burn on his chest. "Seems like a perfect reason to me. You don't understand what it's like, to live a mundane life."

"What do you mean?"

"Every day I do the same thing with and for people I don't care for. I have no family. No real friends. None my age anyway. There's not a lot of 17 year olds around her. It makes me feel older than I am."

"That's what you're complaining about? A boring routine? Sounds like you need to grow up. _Life_ is a boring routine. You can't just get up one day and decide you want it to be exciting. It doesn't work that way."

"I just...want to get out of here," Saria whispered tower"ds her jar.

"I don't understand you two. What's so terrible about a peaceful life? I didn't mind the ranch. It was dreadfully boring but at least I woke up and fell asleep in the same place! You two are ungrateful."

"Shut it, asshole, and get off your high horse!" little white pieces of apple flesh flung from Arthur's lip. "Just cuz we're unhappy doesn't immediately make us ungrateful!"

"I just-Why would you give up your lives for something like this?!"

"Who said we're giving up our lives?!"

"You two might as well join the army!" Link spat. "It'd be easier!"

Arthur lifted himself up from the wall. His apple hit the floor with a thud. "And who said we wanted things easy?!"

"Who said this was your decision?!"

"Alright!" Saria squeaked. "Forget it! Forget I ever said anything. You're right, I don't belong out there."

Link just noticed she was twirling her finger inside the jar of cream. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. The burn on your face needs to be treated."

He cringed and turned his head to the side as she brought her cream covered fingers towards him. She frowned and treated his burn as fast as possible.

* * *

><p>Saria and Arthur decided to leave the tiny room of the hut to give the moody hero his space. They waited out there and exchanged information. They told each other the vitals and not much else.<p>

"You alright?" he asked her when he noticed her green eyes dropping towards the last stone step.

"I'm fine. I used to know Link, when we were younger."

"Really? Wow, how lucky is that? People seem to get lost in this world."

"Yeah."

"You don't seem to think it's very lucky."

"I just-...I thought he'd be nicer."

"He's a little intense. You just have to be light to balance out his heaviness. Makes everything roll off your shoulders real nice."

She nodded just as Link came outside. "Thank you for tending to my burns," he muttered.

She stared at Arthur as she answered. "No weight on my back," she said with a casual shrug.

Arthur smiled and gave her a wink of approval. She grinned back.

"Do you live here alone, Saria?" Link asked.

"No. Right now I live with an older woman. She's a darling thing. You should like her-I mean she'll be home soon-

"My, my look at you!" a pregnant women entered the cottage's yard through a small gate, a little girl and boy running past her. She was a blonde, friendly looking woman who carried a strange accent. Her eyes were kind and tired. She put down the crate of vegetables she was carrying and rushed towards Link.

He stepped back slightly, wondering if she was going to slow down, and found himself pressed up against the cottage door. She hugged him so tight he was worried her belly would burst. Disgusting.

She tortured him even further by grabbing his face, pulling him towards her, and giving him a friendly kiss on the lips. A shiver ran down his spine. Her lips were too soft.

"I finally get to meet our new guest! Oh joy!" the woman cheered. Her voice strained his ears. Before he could even catch his breath, Link felt a tug on his pants. He looked down to see a wide eyed little girl staring at him.

"Hi Mister!" she screeched. "What happened to your cheek?"

"Ella! Be polite, now!" her mother scolded as Link felt his stomach drop, not knowing it was so noticeable that a child would point it out.

"WHOA" Link looked up to see the boy dragging his sword on the ground. He attempted to lift it with a grunt but quickly failed while Ella ran over to Epona and petted her leg. The site was nerve racking.

"Careful now, Junior!" his mother giggled before she turned back to Link. "Now where did you come from, sugar?"

"Depends."

The woman burst out laughing and he flinched at her reaction. "My, my! I see you have a lot of stories in you, aint that right, sugar? What's your name? Mine's Illica, nice to meet you."

"Link," he answered with a half smile, admittedly amused by the woman's happiness. The kids ran back towards Link, Junior still dragging his sword.

"Where'd you get that knife?" Ella asked.

"It's a _sword,_" Junior corrected her. He pronounced it wrong.

"Sward."

It seemed impossible for the woman to keep a straight face. "Precious aren't they? You ever thought of having children, Link?"

"No, I haven't." Seemed like an odd question.

"Well, it's a beautiful thing." she sighed and lifted a hand towards his shoulder, which she gently grazed with her hand. He nearly slapped it away but he instead he just raised an eyebrow and glanced at Saria, who gave a bored shrug.

"I'd think Link would make a fine father!" Arthur barked. "He has the patience of a saint!"

Link laughed passive aggressively at him.

"Thank you letting him stay here," Saria said to Illica. "I hope it wasn't a burden."

"Never, darling! It was my pleasure."

"Um, should we feed these poor boys? If that's okay with you?"

"I was just about to suggest the same thing!"

Link glanced at the sun, which seemed dangerously low in the sky.

"I don't think-"

"We would LOVE to stay!" Arthur interrupted Link before he could protest.

"Oh good! It's such a nice day; let's eat outside! Can someone help me in the kitchen?"

"I will!" Arthur bounded over to her and followed her inside, helping her up the steps.

"How long will this take?" Link asked Saria.

"You might as well eat. Plus it's free, if that means anything."

Link lifted a shoulder and gave a crooked smile, thinking of how Arthur was complaining about their expenses and must have to Saria. "Good point."

"Hope you like meat!" Illica pushed through the door with plates of meat and vegetables in her hands, the smell immediately filling Link's nose. He bit the inside of his cheek as his stomach growled, holding back the urge to devour it before the host sat down.

"Sounds like someone's hungry!" she chimed as she placed the food in front of him. Arthur followed her with two more plates, a spring to his step as he served himself and Saria. Link decided he was too happy for no reason.

Once they all sat down, Illica stood up and left without a word. They all shared a look before she came back out with a bottle of wine. "Now, I'm not much of a drinker, so I might as well treat you folks!"

"Well…" Saria began as Illica poured each of them a drink. "I know you know I'm too young and Link sure is-"

She was interrupted by the site of Link taking a long sip of his wine. It burned his throat and felt warm in his gut. He wasn't a big drinker, he wasn't his uncle, but his life on the ranch encouraged it and every now and then, he craved it. He lowered his cup and looked at Saria, who had her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Ha! I raise my glass to you Link!" Arthur toasted right before he took a sip of his own. "Alcohol should be free to drink for all!"

"Well, I don't know about that," Illica murmured sweetly. She asked all three of them their ages.

"I'm 19, so is Link." Arthur said through his food.

"I'm 18" Link corrected before taking a bite himself.

Arthur leaned back in his chair. "_Really?_" he asked with a bright, condescending grin.

Link smiled at Arthur and lifted his wine to his lips. "You knew that."

Saria turned to Illica. "And I'm 17 as you know."

Illica's eyes widened at Arthur and Link, more towards Link, who still carried the rough, slovenly appearance of a traveling warrior, which at this point, he was. "My, you all seem a little young to be carrying swords and traveling. Not to mention _burned!_"

When she looked at Arthur to explain, he scoffed and pointed across the table.

"Well your describing Link…ask him!"

Link set his cup down and gave Arthur an annoyed look, not wanting to explain anything that happened. In fact, he didn't know where to start with his story. "I've been moving around a bit. Looking for a new home. My old one...burned down in a fire."

"Oh I'm so sorry! That must have been terrible for you! Where did you used to live?"

"Castle town."

"Oh, how nice."

"Yeah," Arthur muttered. "If you like walls."

They heard giggles behind them and turned to see the children playing with Link's bow. He felt anger pump through his veins instantly. But then the boy managed to pull an arrow back, which seemed to be slightly pointed in Ella's direction. Link's stomach jittered.

"Hey!" he snapped so loud the neighbors could have heard. The boy dropped the bow and stepped back, guilty and embarrassed. Link walked over, crouched down and grabbed the bow, noticing the boy's expression.

"Sorry I took your…um…" the boy began with a stutter.

"It's called a bow. It can be dangerous if you don't know how to use it."

"Yeah…I don't know how," the boy mumbled sadly.

"W-well…." _Say something nice, jerk. ".._I bet you'll learn when you're older. And I bet you'll be good at it."

"Ok," the boy smiled brightly, as if he was never upset, as Link stood up and swung the bow over his shoulders. Once he sat back down at the table, Illica sighed sweetly.

"Thank you" she breathed. "It would've taken me twice as long to take that from him." She placed a hand on her round stomach. Link couldn't help but look down at her gesture. He had never seen a pregnant woman in person before. She was so….big. It seemed like she would burst and Link couldn't escape that thought so matter how immature he knew it was.

"Would you like to feel?" Illica asked, noticing his gaze.

"Huh?"

"Would you like to feel?" she repeated.

He hesitated, feeling awkward for being caught staring. _Not really. _"I…uh…"

"Here," Illica reached over, took his hand, and placed it over her drum tight belly. Evry muscle in his body tightened but she didn't seem to notice or care. Tight as a drum. It didn't even feel like another human being. He didn't really mind touching it.

He could feel the bends of the baby's joints, its limps, its bones. It was like an infant horse inside its mother. His expression subtly twitched; his eyebrows drew together and the corner of his mouth lifted. Different then a horse. Smaller and more fragile. He imagined holding it and he bit down on his lip. He imagined dropping it. It would wail so loudly. Illica placed her hands over his. He tensed up again and leaned his weight away from her. "Do you feel that?" she asked softly. It was felt a sudden jerk against her skin. She gasped softly and pressed down on Link's hand again. "She kicked!" she whispered in excitement.

He wiggled his hand out from under hers. Safe back by his side. "She?"

"Oh, I guess I should refer to her as it, shouldn't I? I'll never know until the day."

"You think it will be a girl?" Saria asked curiously. "How can you tell?"

"Well," Illica gazed towards her children playing on the grass. "It…_feels_ like a girl. But in the end it truly doesn't matter," she rubbed her stomach and smiled softly. "In the end it will by my baby no matter what."

Link felt his smile fade at Illica's sudden solemnity. He glanced at Arthur and Saria as he sipped his wine. Their eyes wandered in different directions as well. They all seemed so young at that point, the wine tasted twice as bitter.

"Um, thank you for the meal and your hospitality, but I really should go," Link said as kindly as he could once the food was settled wonderfully into his stomach. He truly couldn't tell if he was energized or sleepy, the food giving him a false sense of power yet weighing him down, but he decided it didn't matter since he had to get moving anyway.

Arthur was staring at him. He avoided eye contact.

"Before you leave, let me give you some of that medication for your burns," Illica stood up slowly, refusing anyone's offer to help, and entered the cottage. There was a silence.

"Where to go now," Arthur sang casually, tapping his finger on the table.

_None of my concern._

_"SARIA!" _Ella whined, suddenly at the foot of her chair. "I want to play!"

"Not now, Ella."

"But you ALWAYS play with us! I want to play _NOW!"_

Saria's face fell into tired wrinkles. Link blinked. He saw a 40 year old woman. Sympathy began to break in after knocking on the door for several minutes.

"In a minute."

Illica came back outside. "It's a shame you're leaving," she said with a playful smirk. "I was hoping Saria's problem of finding a husband would be solved."

Link never thought a girl could be so red.

Illica pinched Saria's cheeks. She cringed and sunk her head in so deep into her neck she looked like a turtle. It was incredible. She went from someone twice her age to half.

Link frowned. "Thank you Illica. Especially for the...uh.." he couldn't even begin to try to pronounce the name of the medicine she gave him. He stared at the label for a good 10 seconds.

"Sulfadiazine," Saria muttered flawlessly towards the table.

Link stared at her for a moment. Then he said to Illica "We must be going now. I-We need to see our friend, she's dying so we're awfully rushed."

"Who's 'we'?"

"All three of us."

Illica looked down at Saria. "You have a friend outside of this village?"

She smiled at Link and nodded. "A few."


	31. Chapter 31: The Crow

**I'm in a rush but I wanted to thank Randombutloved for all the reviewS and support! Thanks to all of you for the reviews and everything, it means the world! Shout out to K'ger and Moonlight and Rage and Irene and...IDK WHO IM FORGETTNG IM SORRY GO TO GO TO CREW BUT READ AND ENJOY. WARNING, DISTUBRING CHAPTER**

**And remember, guest reviews or PM for this chapter if you've already reviewed please. Sry for the inconvenience!**

**_Chapter 31: The Crow_**

In the grand scape, there were rural mountain ranges of moderate height that surrounded the village, making it isolated and cultured. Sinal, who seemed to appear from thin air, no horse or travel necessities with him, walked down the center road, which's dusty glow seemed to be the brightest value amongst the deep green vegetation and the humbling colors of the homes. He was cloaked and masked. A few children ran in front of him and he patiently stopped waited for them to pass, his skull-like head hinging ever so slightly to glance in their direction.

The village was healthy and humble, small and peaceful. Sinal's long dark figure did not belong there, no matter how he portrayed himself. Although his posture and stroll was rather upbeat, to a human's it still carried an odd rhythm, whether it'd be the odd shape of his shoulders or the misbalanced weight of flesh in his limps. In fact, a few comely women who were conversing around a merchant's stand stopped to stare at him, casually and harmlessly, but still took a moment to acknowledge his darken clothing and the way he seemed to limp by.

Although he couldn't have been more passive and independent, everyone seemed to take notice, the town slowly falling silent as each villager seized there daily routines.

Sinal didn't look back. He seemed not to even know they were there or at least refused to take his view off of his direction. It was rather eerie, the way this strange figure slugged by peacefully, the sounds dying out until the thump of his stroll was the only surviver.

Breaking his repeating pattern, he turned and approached a home, glided up the steps, and walked right through the door, as if he was the owner, and slammed it.

The town's people watched this for a moment, eyes on the closed doors in silence, until they heard a voice.

"Who are you?" a mother asked from with in the home, child in grip. Vegetables were cut in preparation for a meal, the blade still riddled with the remains of sticky onions. The daughter held a small book in her hand.

Sinal didn't answer at first. He kept his masked face downwards, as if enjoying the sound of their confusion.

The mother repeated herself.

He lifted his head slightly, exposing his eerie white mask. The mother and her daughter both flinched at the sight. "I'm sorry to intrude," Sinal muttered. "But I came for…some assistance."

The mother swallowed and croaked, "I'm afraid you won't find any here, I apologize for that."

"No, I will. You see all I need is a body."

The mother's eyes were wide now and soon began to water as she let out a soft whimper, shaking her head.

"No, no," Sinal cooed reassuringly. "A _live_ body."

The mother backed up a few steps, taking her child with her. Sinal cocked his head up to the ceiling, casually in thought.

"Well, I need more than just the two of you. Don't be offended, your contributions are massive, I assure you, but I do need more, I hope you don't mind."

"Get out!"

"Oh no," he said. "I can't leave yet. Then I would fail, you don't want me to fail, do you?"

"My husband will come home soon."

"Oh," Sinal began with a cheerful tone, removing his mask and exposing his inhuman appearance. He smiled at her, exposing his revolting gap in his face from which he spoke where blood seeped out the holes that lacked sharpened teeth. "How wonderful! He can join us."

She screamed, loudly and sharply, the kind of scream that would make any other soul flinch, but Sinal lifted his head up with eyes closed and a slight smile, the sound like a beautiful symphony to him.

* * *

><p>There was something about the bouncy tone in the girl's whistle that disturbed Zelda, surprisingly even more than the bag over her head, the bounds around her wrist, and the feeling of her ass dragging across the dirt road, which went from a gentle burn to an unbearable sting.<p>

Zelda didn't realize how long she would be dragged. Her heart, although still violently pounding, had calmed since she was violently restrained. She kept waiting for the stop, that moment when whatever Sinal or this girl had planned for her would be revealed, and unfortunately, the more time that passed, the more she was left to think about the possibilities. With a produce bag over her head which smelled of potatoes and herbs, she only had her thoughts, which at first seemed more appealing than the pain of her beaten flesh or the feeling of her skin being slowly grated against the dirt road, but soon proved too be even more torturous. She, for the first time, truly understood what fear felt like, knowing that her death was extremely possible, more so than not, and that Sinal would actually have her in his grip. It was real then, it was happening, and as she was dragged along the dirt road, her ass and back burning, it rang truer and truer.

And then, once she had grown tired of her obnoxious whistle, the girl began to sing. It was strange and infuriating to Zelda to hear her sing, as if the girl didn't deserve to be able to sing.

"_I've been out on the road_

_Running from my daddy_

_Why'd you go?_

_Why'd you go?_

_I've been running_

_Running from my daddy_

_And I'll find the crow_

_Out on my own_

_What does he know?_

_What does he know?_

_Oh oh…"_

Zelda let out a muffled scream through her gag, not being able to bear the eerie calmness of her capturer and the obvious doom that was awaiting her anymore. She couldn't ignore the horrors that awaited her and anxiously anticipating them with the girl's creepy sing song persona in the background did not help.

"_He'll never know_

_Where I'll go_

_Where I'll go_

_Cuz I'll keep running_

_till I'm no more_

_And he'll never know_

_Where I'll go…_"

To make matters worse, Zelda knew the song. It was a Hylian folk song that she heard once as a young girl. She didn't recognize the lyrics at that moment or when she was young, but the tone which held a perfect balance between bounce and solemnity was distinct. She would never be able to listen to the song again, she was sure of it.

"_This world is big enough_

_I'm sure_

_For me to go_

_I'll find my way_

_Through the day_

_The dove will help me_

_The crow will deceive me_

_But this world is big enough_

_For both _

_The dove and the crow_

_The light and the dark_

_The rush and the wait_

_The love and the hate_

_I'll go _

_And he'll never know_

_Where I'll go_

_This world is too big_

_And he'll find the crow_

_The crow_

_And he'll never ever know_

_Thanks to the crow…."_

The girl cleared her throat. "Finally! We're here. Lugging your ass was no treat I assure you."

Zelda let out another muffled noise, but wasn't sure what she would say if she didn't have a restriction on her tongue.

Her bag was whipped off with a delicate sound of wind, the light immediately blinding. When her eyes adjusted, she saw the girl there, smiling, behind her blue sky.

"Hey. So I couldn't fly with your heavy ass, you'll pay for the effort I had to expense, maybe a limb or something, I have to ask you know who. But I doubt he cares about your body, it's your mind he wants.

Oh, and sorry about the hero. It's a shame he had to die, although he strikes me as a rather arrogant bastard… or struck me. And before you could marry him, oh, such a shame!"

Zelda growled something into her leather gag so violently the girl raised her eyebrows in interest and removed it to hear her response.

"How do you know he died?! I bet he survived and you'll be the one who's murdered!"

"He could barely stand, let alone get out of a burning building! And," she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I suppose if he did survive by some miracle, he'll just come after you, and then Sinal can see him dead for himself. That's better actually, that way Sinal could see him dead for his own eyes. Either way, for now, you are actually more important than he is."

"Where are we-" she was interrupted by the gag being placed back between her teeth.

"Whatever. If he's dead, he's dead, if he's not, he will be, I don't care, as long as _I'm _not dead, I'm good."

Zelda twisted her self upwards, the horizon of trees and landscape appearing before her. She still had no idea where they were, they seemed to be nowhere in particular, just more trail.

She murmured again.

"Shhh," the girl said and turned her around to see an intersecting trail behind her. Down the trail, she could just see the tips of the homes and cathedrals of a town. Zelda assumed that's what 'here' was, but the girl didn't budge.

"Now we wait."

_We wait?_

A few moments later, a horse drawn travel carriage came down the trail. When it approached them, the girl stepped forward, forcing it to stop. The man who rode it was plump and friendly looking, his kind eyes immediately sagging into concern when he saw Zelda and the girl.

He stared at Zelda and squinted, as if he recognized her, which he probably did.

She made muffled sounds of struggle to let him know she was in trouble. He looked at her, then at the girl, now with fear.

The girl gave him a condescending look and cocked her head. "Can you help me with something?"

The man suddenly burst into motion, obviously aware of the danger, and reared up his horse, eyes wild in panic. He was too late, however. The girl was a step ahead, already on top of the carriage, knife in hand, perched above him.

The man looked up and called out in a yelp, but was interrupted by her bringing the knife downwards through his neck in a single, swift motion. Deep crimson blood squirted out.

Zelda screamed through her gag, as loud as she could.

"Thanks," the girl said and shoved his body off this carriage. It landed with a thud. When she came back to get Zelda, she said, "Now we have a better travel option, don't we? And by the way, we're going….somewhere cold."


	32. Chapter 32: Head Down Hood Up

**Chapter 31: Head Down Hood Up**

**In Editing process. Chapter incomplete**

* * *

><p>"How are we supposed to see anything?!" Arthur demanded loudly in the forest, shattering the silence. The forest was draped in twilight, making the colors of the land blend together in one grey, blue appearance.<p>

"Shhh! If you listen, you don't have to see anything"

Even in the low light Link could see Arthur roll his eyes. "Whatever"

Suddenly there was a gentle rustle in the leaves ahead of them. Link raised his bow and stared ahead. He managed to see a flank of a rabbit hidden among the bramble, took in a quick breath, aimed, and shot it straight in the head, through the eye and out the other side. He smiled with satisfaction and lowered his bow.

"Nice shot" Arthur muttered.

* * *

><p>Once they were inside the gates of the town, Link felt sentiment crash onto him. He missed it, the produce stands, the sounds, the conversations. He was home and he couldn't wait to reach the town square, the center of all the action. The second their horses were tied by the traveler's stable, Link began to trot away, a spring to his step.<p>

"Woa!" Arthur bounced in front of Link's path and placed a hand out to halt him. "Slow down. Can't just walk in."

Link narrowed his eyes and stood erect, lifting his chin to look down at the simpleton in his way. "Why not?"

"Cuz you can't just stroll into castle town, not castle town, I mean this is castle town!"

Arthur almost seemed to have too much energy coursing through his veins that he couldn't even control his own thoughts or tongue, or whatever area of his brain that connected the two.

Link squinted his eyes at him. "You know I used to live here right?"

"_Used_ to! And you didn't live here, Link did, the humble…pot salesman or whatever."

"I worked on the ranch."

"Same thing. My point is, you aren't Link anymore. You're the Hero of Legends! Link can stroll through these streets as he pleases, the hero cannot."

Link frowned and glanced at Saria, who shrugged.

"He may have a point."

"Of course I have a point!" he said as he snatched a cloak from the stand, a sly act of thievery, before they walked by and quickly down the streets, about to enter the main town square. He fastened it around Link's shoulder's, so quickly he couldn't even react. When he flipped the hood up onto his scalp, Link coiled down wards in a flinch, annoyed.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes!" Arthur chirped. "You don't know how these people will react. They'll ask questions and accuse things and demand explanations and point to the legend. Keep your head down, hood up, and eyes away from others."

"What about-"

"No exceptions. I know you must be _dying _to strut through the towns, sword in hand, scar on cheek, and I bet you can't wait to return to that ranch of yours as a war hero and fuck that coworker who you neglected because it'd be-" he gave theatrical gestures in the air with his hands accompanied with an eye roll. "unprofessional, but you can't, unfortunately. We go in, get what we need, say hi to no one unless absolutely necessary, and get out. Got it?"

"W-"

"Fantastic. Let's go."

Link glared at Arthur's back as he bounded away.

"It'll be fine," Saria cooed. "He's obnoxious but right. You don't want to draw too much attention to yourself."

"I won't. I'm pretty good at that."

Saria raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down, a certain feminine smirk to her expression. "Says you."

He considered the different connotations of that as he followed them out of the alley way into the main street.

* * *

><p>Compared to the tranquil villages, castle town did seem busier and more crowded, even more so than Link remembered. He did his best to keep his head down, watching and following Arthur's feet in front of him.<p>

But soon he did look up and saw a familiar, doe eyed face by the fountain. Her eyes darted around as she organized the produce she had bought that day, hay, feed, carrots and apples. When their eyes met, her mouth parted slightly in shock, her cheeks flushed, and she nearly dropped the basket she was carrying. Instead of showing any sign of greeting, she down casted her eyes and hurried away.

Link widened his eyes and went after her. "Millie!"

"Link?"

He ignored the call of his companions as he followed Millie into an intersecting ally way. If she knew, the entire ranch would find out.

When he caught up to she, she nearly let out a whimper, like he was _chasing_ her instead of catching up. He grabbed her arm as lightly as he could, which was still a pretty firm grip, and pulled her to a halt.

She fumbled her lips. "I- um, hi sir."

"First of all, please don't call me sir, second, you can't tell anyone that you saw me. I was never here, alright?"

She looked to the side, as if a brick on the stone wall moved, and gave a weak nod.

"And if Jack or…." it took him a minute to come up with their names. "Richard or anyone else saw me, they didn't either."

"Okay."

"Alright. Thank you Millie. I hope you're doing alright."

"Okay."

She them stuttered a bit, like she was going to say goodbye, then hurried off like a frightened mouse without another word.

He let out a breath, realizing Arthur was right. In a town like this, people shouldn't know he's here. Luckily Millie's awareness was easy to sniff out and crush.

But when he turned around, he bumped into something tall, hard and that reeked of alcohol. He looked up to see an immense, wide man that carried the stature of a large brick. His eyes were sagged in shape and discolored.

"Look who it is."

Link bit down on his lip and took a half step back while silently cursing his luck. "…Hi Uncle."

"I'm glad I found ya-"

"Sorry, Uncle, I can't speak now. I really have to go."

He ducked around him towards the square but felt a suffocating grasp on his arm that held him back. Every muscle in Link's body tensed and his weight was pulled back to his uncle, who carried a playful yet threatening smirk.

"You trying to run away you lil' piece of shit?"

"Is there something you want?"

"You owe me."

"What?"

"You owe me a lot."

"I don't owe you anything."

"When that ranch of yours burned down there were consequences to that. The castle needed money to rebuild it, money you owed, but since you ran away like a coward, they had to go to the closest relative of you," his uncle pointed a stubby finger at his temple. "Me."

Link narrowed his eyes. "I didn't run away and we have insurance on the ranch."

"Had. Not anymore."

He frowned deeply. "Why?"

"I took out the insurance money."

He stopped leaning away from his uncle and stood centered, slightly intrigued. "When did you do that?"

"About a year ago."

"A year ago?….When you left me in charge?" his face fell and his voice broke into a stern whisper. "…..Is that why you gave me the job?"

"Huh?"

He forced himself to stand up straight and repeated himself. "Is that why you gave me the job? Because you left with the insurance money?"

"Yeah, I gave you the job, you're welcome, and since you were in charge when the place caught on fire, it's your fault and you owe me. 150,000."

Link stared at the disgusting man that stood before him, different emotions brewing in his gut. Before his hand began to burn, that jobs as the only thing he had to be proud of and the job he constantly downgraded in his mind, the job he always thought was mundane and unfulfilling, he got because his uncle robbed and left him. "I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of money. I need to go."

His uncle tightened his grip on his arm, shifting strains of muscles uncomfortably out of place. "How do I know you won't run away again?"

"I don't know what you expect me to do. Let go of me."

He wouldn't.


	33. Chapter 33: Manners

_**Chapter 33: Manners **_

"Let go of me. I need to go. I'll pay you back. I'll find a way to."

"Liar. You're nothing but a little liar...You've grown so ugly, you know that? So homely and aged. Stay and work off your debt, that's all I want from you. Nothing else."

"Now you are the lair...And I can't stay. I won't."

His uncle squeezed his arm and growled, "Why the fuck not? You already left for weeks and now you're back! You're just gonna drop everything and leave _again_? You can't just leave me again! Not after all I've done for you."

Link narrowed his eyes. At that moment, everything that surrounded his old means of living, the care of his uncle, the company of his workers, the way he used to count the sacks of feed at dawn, seemed insignificant. He some how felt above it all.

He hated his uncle so deeply. He knew he had let it go on for too long and he wouldn't let it go on for a second longer. He ripped his arm away and began to walk away.

He heard his uncle's footsteps behind him as he exited the alley way. He took long, quick strides that glided him across the square. He thought if he made it close enough to a crowd, he could slip away. But, alas, he felt an even stronger grip grab him and jolt him to a halt, his hood falling off his head and down onto his shoulders. Link inhaled sharply and turned on his heel. What he saw destroyed any sense of confidence he had had before. His uncle had his fist cocked back, ready to strike. Link instinctively cowered away in anticipation.

There was a whoosh by his ear and an arrow found itself lodged in his uncle's palm. He cried out, dropped Link's wrist, and gripped his own which was already leaking blood.

Link stepped back and turned his head to see across the square Arthur, who stood there with his bow raised and his dark eyes sharp, angry, and determined. Link almost thought he was looking at himself. Arthur then, Saria close at his heels, bolted across the square so fast that he was by Link's side in a matter of seconds.

He drew another arrow and pointed it directly at his uncle's nose, who was kneeled down in pain.

When he looked up and gave Arthur a threatening sneer, Arthur lifted his chin up and said,

"Go ahead, get up. I dare ya."

He turned his head to Saria. "Get Link out of here. I'll deal with the guards. Go to the castle, I'lll try my best to meet you there. And be careful." He looked at Link and shot him a bright smile, his brow furrowed playfully. "I expected more from you, hero."

Link opened his mouth to say something, perhaps 'thank you', but Saria took his hand, a soft grip, and lead him away. Link lifted his hood back over his head which had fallen by his shoulders and followed her.

"I definitely remember Uncle Ben," Saria muttered as she squeezed his hand sweetly.

* * *

><p>Arthur clicked his tongue as the guard paced back and fourth in the tiny room. He felt the deep crevasses in his teeth, so deep he felt like his tongue was reaching the nerves within his gums. He considered his sugar intake as the guard shared a few glances to the one waiting by the door. "Listen," he began in a muffled voice, his tongue still squirming within his mouth. "I was just defending a friend of mine. I wasn't gonna kill him or anything."<p>

"But you threatened to."

"If we arrested people for what they say everyone would be in jail."

The guard pursed his lips to the side. "Where did you say you were from?"

"Does that really matter?"

"It concerns your citizenship."

Arthur made theatrical pats on his clothing, feeling his pockets on his trousers and leather vest, then winced and threw his arms down to his side. "Shoot, I must have left my papers in my other pants."

"I would watch your attitude."

Arthur ran a hand through his coco colored hair, short and spiky on his scalp, and took a breath. "Listen, I wasn't sure whether I was gonna stay with this journey, whether I'd actually stick with something for once in my life or whether I'd abandon it like I always do, but I'll tell you one thing, I'm sure as hell not staying here a second longer unless I choose to."

The guard smirked and crossed his arms. "I starting to think we're not on the same page here."

* * *

><p>Link approached the castle grounds slowly. He and Saria weren't making much process. They were both too cautious to lead the way, so they both would slow down a step when the other seemed to be going ahead. The guards watched them like hawks as they approached the gates, making their way to the cut off, the boundary where commoners couldn't freely cross.<p>

When they reach this boundary, Link took down his hood, fell to one knee in a bow, and held out his gloved right hand. The guard raised his eye brow as Link removed the glove and exposed his mark. It was faded but still distinct.

Both of the guards inhaled in shock. "..I can't confirm that's real," one said quickly and rather frantically.

"You can't send me away either."

The guards scowled and let them through.

The castle grounds was casually busy, as it always had been, the gardens were peaceful and beautiful, a few birds chirping, but inside the castle, it was absolute chaos. Guards rushed through the halls, discussing war plans, statistics, how many villagers were taken over, how many have died, how many are missing, how many dark souls have been spotted.

The king was taking part in this as well, Link could hear his deep voice booming throughout the halls and in different places. The king was on the move, not sitting in his throne. Link felt his mouth twitch into a sick smile, finding new respect for their majesty. Zelda's father must be doing the best he could.

"Come with me," the guard murmured. "I'll take you to a commander."

"N-no," Link fumbled a moment. He took a breath. He needed to be confident. "No. I must speak with her father-the king."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. The ki-"

"It involves his daughter."

The guard paused a moment. "The Princess?"

"Yes. She's been…taken. We need to figure out how to find her."

"Taken by who?"

Link hesitated for a moment. "A young woman took her. She made her destination unclear, but I believe she works for the enemy."

"And by the enemy you mean….?" the way the guard asked this, his anxious and hopeless tone, lead Link to believe he already knew the answer but asked anyway in hope for a better one.

"…Sinal."

The guard took a breathe and he flinched into action. He basically sprinted away from Link to find the king. "Get his majesty! The princess has been kidnapped!"

Link felt a burning wave of heated shame pulse through his veins as the guards voice echoed through the halls. The princess has been kidnapped and now the hero is going to go save her. He could have sworn he read this somewhere. Hopefully it will have the same happy ending.

* * *

><p>"Where'd you get that wound?" the guard asked Arthur, his eyes darting to his shin, which was loosely tied with a spare piece of clothe and stained in blood.<p>

Arthur lifted his shin slightly and looked at it, as if he needed to be reminded what was there in the first place. "Another act of defense."

"Defense," the guard bobbed his head so much Arthur began to subtly imitate him when his head was turned, the other guard trying desperately to hide his smirk. "Defense. Defense. Sssself dense?"

Arthur looked him in the eye and began, "Defense of a friend. Defense of a friend from a girl. The same girl who kidnapped Zelda, otherwise known as the princess. Defense of a friend who is also the hero of legends, who is in this castle as we speak, speaking to your king, about his daughter. The same friend who I defended in the square from a drunk. And I swear to the gods, no just one, Farore, if you don't let me go there's an increased chance that I won't be there to defend him again and then he'll be dead then the princess will be dead, then the king, then you."

The guard stared back at him with a sunken stomach. "You…can't say things like that."

"I can't take back my words. Now either fetch my friend or let me fetch him for myself."

Arthur stood and held out his bounded wrists confidently. The guard undid the knot and stepped aside as Arthur walked by. He paused in the doorway and said behind his shoulder, "You're welcome to come along. You shouldn't let a stranger like me roam about the castle. I mean, I could be an assassin."

The guard immediately followed behind him, jogging up to him to keep his pace.

* * *

><p>Link was lead to the throne room, hustled in frantically by a few guards. Saria stayed close by his side, purposely grazing him, as if to let him know she was still there amongst the chaos.<p>

As they strolled into the room, making their way across the long carpet, a guard spoke to them.

"The king has been notified about this predicament, sparing you of giving the news yourself. Make your case, say why you're here, why you should be the one to go after her, what you need, etcetera, etcetera."

_Why I should be the one to go after her? _Link couldn't help but overthink that part for he didn't have a concrete reason why he should be the one. That, and he personally didn't believe he should be the one in the first place, not truly. It was understandable, no one would think this immediately unless they had an uncanny sense of arrogance.

"Be respectful, of course. Try to speak only when spoken to. I'm sure you wish to present yourself well in front of your king."

Link and Saria nodded vigorously as he spoke. Uneasy memories of Link's first visit to the castle, to this tall, stain glass windowed room began to rush back to him. The windows farthest from the throne were boarded up, ladders and equipment were set up as a means to replace the glass that was once so beautiful. It was rather sad, seeing only a few fixed and a few in the process. He almost felt as if dark souls would crash through them again, and again, and again, until they would just give up and leave them open. It was an irrational thought, but it still put him on edge, especially when they passed by an elegant bird cage, hanging peacefully in front of a lower window, sparking more unpleasant reminders.

A dove was inside, a replacement. It cooed and stirred when they approached. But when Link hesitated, when he took a second to pause halfway down the carpet and stare at it, it began to lift itself up and violently flap its wings. The sound was still delicate, the fluttering of its wings, but when the cage began to rattle, it was enough to make Link flinch from his daze and send him on his way down the carpet.

No one else seemed to notice it.

When they approached the throne, the guard stepped in front of them and held a loose hand out to Saria.

"And who are you?"

She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Link, who subtle lifted a shoulder, dumfounded.

She kept her eyes on him and gave him a furrowed look as she answer, "Er-hisss mmmedic."

The guard opened his mouth like he was about to protest but then rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever. Just, kneel here."

They did.

Suddenly, someone burst through the main doors to the throne room, loudly. The bright light from the hallway poured into the dim throne room. Link and Saria both flinched and looked behind their shoulders.

"Oh, there you guys are! I found 'im" It was Arthur, a bold silhouette, prancing down the carpet as a couple guards trotted after him. When they reached out to grab his arm to restrain his reckless behavior, he scoffed and ripped it away.

"Calm yourselves! I'm with these two!"

The guard who was consulting Link and Saria threw his head back with wide eyes and barked, "And who are _you_?"

Arthur quickly glanced at Link and Saria then lifted his chin at the guard and narrowed his eyes. "I'm his fucking financial adviser, who needs to know?"

The guard seemed taken aback for a moment but again seem to dismiss the presence of Link's companions, more reluctantly this time.

He kneeled down by Link's other side and murmured, "Miss me?"

"Shh!"

"One more thi-" the guard silenced as the sound of doors opening echoed the room. He dismissed whatever he was about to say and darted to the side, fitting into line with the other soldiers in an organized fashion.

Saria, Arthur, and Link were suddenly alone out on that carpet and all of them felt so small in front of the immense, elevated throne.

They kept their eyes on their eyes down on the carpet even when different voices and footsteps filled the room.

"Please be quiet," Link whispered toward Arthur.

"Yes, Saria, please be," was his response.

And once things quieted down, they knew the king was there, sitting in that throne, but didn't dare look up.

"I know you," a deep, rich voice said. "You're that young soldier, aren't you?"

Link glanced up slightly, only seeing the bottom half of the king's crimson robe. "I'm not a soldier." For some reason, he couldn't think of a better response.

"However you are fighting for us."

"Yes."

"And, if I'm not mistaken, you are the one who ran off with my daughter."

"W-well, I didn't really-"

"You traveled with her, yes?"

"Yes."

"And you were there when she was taken?"

"Yes."

"Then I believe you have an obligation to take at least part of the responsibility."

"I wasn't-"

He was about to protest the king's assumption that he wasn't taking any blame, but someone in the room cleared their throat. It wasn't clear who, perhaps a guard, most likely, in Link's mind, the guard from before, reminding him to hold his tongue.

"What was the reason for her accompanying you on your travels?"

"She seemed to play a part in this as well. She escorted me out of the castle grounds and….helped me, I suppose."

"I never agreed on that. She escaped the castle with you, which was a just and intelligent decision. But she was supposed to leave you be afterwards and return to the safety of the castle...I should have sent someone after her."

"Cuz the castle's _real_ safe," Arthur muttered under his breath.

Link noticed the king was trying to pin blame, first on him, then on Zelda, then on himself. It was then he allowed his eyes to lift and lay them on the solemn king; an immensely tall man with a rectangular shaped head and intense features, grey hair, a strong chin line, and deep, deep set blue eyes.

He waited for the king to say something else.

"Are you here just to inform me about my daughter's abduction or are there other matters on your mind?"

Arthur impulsively opened his mouth and inhaled to say something, but caught himself and glanced back down in silence.

_Choose your words carefully. _"We made the assumption that the young woman that abducted your daughter will bring her to," Link hesitated to say the name. "..Sinal. And although we are relatively certain that is true, we don't have a lead on Sinal's location. We were hoping on finding some information here."

"So you're assuming you will be the one to track her down?"

Link twitched his eyebrow. "No, I wasn't. I'm just stating what we-I know."

"Well you should be," the king said with a soft smile. "Because you will be."

They all lifted their head at that point.

"I will be?"

"Not the only one, let us be realistic to a certain extent. I'll put you on the most reliable lead and my soldiers on the others. 'Divide and conquer' has never failed me before."

"D-do you-we have leads?" Link stuttered.

"Well, we have..we have something," the king gestured to the guards who immediately straightened themselves.


	34. Chapter 34: Goodbye Horses

Warning, disturbing chapter. Also, I'll be impressed if someone can guess the meaning of the Chapter title.

**_Chapter 34: Goodbye Horses_**

The guards were leading Link, Saria and Arthur through the immense castle halls.

"Sinal is difficult to track," the commander said from the head of their pack. The air seemed frantic once again, thousands of footsteps, voices, echoes, sounds of keys against metal locks. A group of armed soldiers rushed by them, the clanking of their armor against the marble floors attention grabbing. Link could almost see the scratches being made.

The commander, however, strolled ahead without even the slightest turn or twitch of his head, obviously unaware of the chaos or perhaps strongly diligent to ignoring it. "No civilian knows who he is and it's rather rare for them to live to report a sighting."

Arthur took a few quick steps to reach the commanders side, a position that only lasted a few seconds before he fell behind once again. "So there's no hope in tracking this bastard down?"

"I didn't say that. We have ideas, but that's part of the problem. We have too many ideas, too many locations he could be. He's practically every where."

"Well, then he should be easy to find," he muttered sarcastically as they approached a winding, dimly lit stairwell that almost appeared to be leading them into hell itself.

Understandably, they halted before either of them would dare set foot on the first stone step and childishly peered downwards with gaped mouths.

"We're going down there?" Link asked.

The guard began to head downwards, not even checking that he was being followed. His body slowly began to be consumed by the shadows. "Yes, to the prisons. That's where we get most of our information."

"Not a very reliable source," Arthur replied as he stepped into the darkness, now empty as the guard rounded the corner of the stairwell.

* * *

><p>There must have been at least five doors, five, locked, heavily built boundaries to reach the heart of the prisons, but Link could still hear the sounds; the angry grunts, screams, cries, threatening gestures and hollers.<p>

"It's regulation to warn you about the dangers of the prison," the commander began.

"No shit," Arthur growled as he avoided a rat scampering by his foot.

"Keep at least four feet away from the cells, don't approach the bars, don't touch the bars. Don't speak to any prisoner excluding the ones we select for you to converse with. Don't taunt or excite the prisoners in any way or you will be escorted out. Which reminds me," he turned around on a dime, causing everyone to abruptly halt in their path, and directed his attention towards Saria. "I'm apologize, but it may be better for you to wait outside."

She frowned, cocked her hip to the side, and demanded why, even though she, Link and Arthur all knew she knew why.

"I believe this is self explanatory," he began with an exhausted breath, his beady little eyes not shifting and his thick eyebrows not adjusting in any way. "Coincidently, most of our prisoners are male and if not, they appear to favor the same sex. It'd be in everyone's best interest for you to wait."

"Sexist and stereotypical but not entirely false," Arthur said with a shrug.

Saria's face seemed to carry a flush, but her expression did not change. "Fine," she said, now rather calmly. "But I'd be surprised," she began, her finger pointing at both Link and Arthur. "if these two didn't cause any disturbances, male prisoners or otherwise."

And with that, she turned and left, a guard breaking away from their party and escorting her back.

Arthur jokingly fixed the collar of his shirt and chirped, "Damn right we'll cause disturbances."

Link just crinkled his eyebrows in an annoyed response and continued on his way, Arthur cracking a half smile and following close behind him.

After a few feet, a few feet across the cold, dusty, dim hallway of the prisons leading entryway, they approached an iron door that stretched all the way to the underground ceiling. It was anything but smooth, as if the castle purposely placed sharp, rusty imperfections on it's surface as a means to intimidate an incoming prisoner. A guard crossed in front of the commander humbly and took out a ring of keys, which only held two of immense size and weight. Everyone waited in silence as the key was loudly inserted into the lock and turned with a click that echoed into a full on bang.

And when the doors opened, the sounds Link had heard faintly in the distance before, were now maximized in volume, mostly they were calls of excitement and angry in response to the doors opening. Booming voices of large men filled their ears and soon their heads.

Sure enough, their were some calls of longing and teasing toward the two, unarmed, unfamiliar young men who strolled down the halls, one with their head high and smirk across his mouth.

When Arthur crossed a particular cell that held an especially angry looking man who glared at him with deeply set, blood shot eyes, he smiled genuinely with a closed mouth and creased eyebrows, put a hand over his heart, and sincerely mouthed, 'I love you too'.

The man responded by throwing himself towards the bars in a fit of anger, Arthur smiling and taking a step back. Link gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him away.

"Please," the commander said and nothing more. He shot an icy glare behind his shoulder.

As if they were school children caught misbehaving, Arthur and Link both silenced and looked at the ground.

They passed by a fair share of prisoners who either shouted profanities in a testosterone fueled rage which must have been brewing over time in the darkened corners of the underground facility or be deadly silent; either deeply mournful, sternly independent, angry, or a horrific and pitiful combination.

"Who are we speaking to?" Link asked the commander after they walked aimlessly for what seemed like an eternity.

"A criminal who claims he has not only seen Sinal, but had an encounter with him."

"Encounter? What do you mean by that?"

"I can't give away information so freely."

"He can though."

"Why don't you save that question for him then?"

Link swung his head forward once again and nodded it once in conformation.

"How do we know he'll be telling the truth?" Arthur asked from Link's side. His tone was sincere.

"We don't. If we did, this whole process would be much easier, wouldn't it?"

"So we're just gonna listen to a criminal spew bullshit our way and pray to the Gods he learned from his mistakes and decides to tell the truth for once in his life?"

"You came here for information, this is the only information we have. Now I suggest you seize these futile questions and begin preparing what you will ask. I won't stay and watch you two and a dangerous criminal just stare at each other."

Link and Arthur shared a glance, not knowing what they would ask first. 'Where's Sinal?' seemed too obvious and brash.

But Link had been contemplating how he would handle this the second they began to make their way down the stairway. Carefully, respectfully. He thought he would first begin by explaining who he was, maybe, but perhaps that would be too self absorbed in the presence of a man who eats gruel every night.

Then, he thought, he would explain what happened to the princess. But again, he found a reason why that would be the wrong move. Would the prisoner refuse to help the princess when her family was the one who imprisoned him?

Perhaps he would just introduce himself. Seemed simple enough, at the time of course.

Finally they reached the end of the hallway, where a cell not only seemed twice the size of the others, but was also somehow separated from the others. There was more cemented wall between it and the cell to it's side.

The moment Link, Arthur, the commander, and the two guards were in front of the cage, one of the two walked over to this cement area and pulled out a metal barrier from a crevasse within the wall. Link and Arthur flinched at the sound and turned to see a door appear sideways out of nowhere, one that had been hidden inside the cement wedge.

Soon, that door closed them inside a newly made room, just them and the cell. The voices and calls of the other prisoners from the rest of the prison became muffled.

It was relatively quiet then, even the soul that stirred within the cell seemed to be calm and in silence.

The commander stood farthest from this door and in the corner of this room, straightened and arms behind his back. "Ask what you need to ask."

Link and Arthur shared a look before one of them, Link summoning his courage, walked forward and peered into the cell.

It was empty except for the necessities, a place for the prisoner to relieve himself and a bed. There was only one light source which was outside of the cell which dimly lit the inside with a soft, orange. In the bed, fully under a thin sheet, was a lump. He was sleeping.

Link felt his heart race as he cleared his throat. The sound did nothing. He glanced behind his shoulder at Arthur, who shrugged at him with wide eyes. Link silently pleaded for him to do something.

"Excuse me!" Arthur barked, making everyone, including himself somehow, flinch.

The shape began to move and an odd, cooing growl filled the room. It was human, but so odd Link couldn't believe such a noise could be involuntary.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" a loopy, high pitched and theatrical voice asked. Then, like a sleepy panther, a shape slugged out of the bed and crawled out onto the floor. Link and Arthur both inhaled at the sight, horrified. It was a human with normal pink flesh, but horribly disfigured like a dark soul. Hairless, bruised, and barely clothed.

"What is that?" Arthur asked in a hushed whisper.

"I'm assuming you're aware of Sinal's..trick, yes?"

He and Link nodded, eyes on the stretching shape.

"Well, he can simply turn someone insane, or he can fully turn them into a dark soul…didn't quite….finish fully with this one."

"Hello," it chirped. "Are you my visitors? Oh, it's so nice to have visitors. I never get them back here. They don't like me. HAHAHAHHAHAHAA."

Link stared with wide eyes. What the hell should he say now?

The 'man' perched itself in the center of the cell and stared at them with an eerie grin, several teeth missing.

"Um, hello. My name is Link."

"Like in a chain?!"

"Yes. What's your name?"

"I don't remember. Not since I met him."

"Who? Who did you meet?"

It smiled a curious smile. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because he took my friend. And I want to get her back. Is Sinal the one you met?"

"SINAL! Oh, he was a fine character he was. OH, yes. I remember, we used to sit on the beach and watch the sunset," his voice was growing higher in pitch and he seemed to be laughing so hard he couldn't breath, the silence laugh that rocks your lungs. "And we smoked _CIGARS_!" he cried in laughter, clapping his mangled hands.

Link glanced hopelessly at the commander, who stared back emotionlessly.

"So you do know who Sinal is?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. Sinal made me insane, but I prefer the word mad. It's more fun. Being mad is rather fun, a jolly good time. Your mind is constantly racing, you'll never be bored. Nevernevernevernever."

"Where is he?"

The thing gripped its own shoulders and violently jerked side to side.

"Watch the way you ask," the commander murmured.

"Do you happen to know where he is?"

The thing continued to shake itself and pouted its lips. "Brrrr, it was so cold."

"Where?"

"Why are you looking for Sinal? Do you want to be mad too? You can you know!" It stood up on wobbly, scary thin legs and approached them like a injured heron. Link took a breath but stayed still. The bars were thick. "Anyone can be! Its a potential we're born with. How great is that?"

Link didn't respond. The 'man' didn't seem to be finished.

"Come on! You can be insane, right now. Come on, let me hear you _SCREAM_!" it tightened its hands into fists and took a dramatic inhaled breath. It held it for a split second before opening its wide, broken jawed mouth and releasing a bloody scream. Everyone flinched at once. Some guards even drew a weapon. After the long screech had taken the 'man's' breath, it drew another, threw itself onto the bars like a monkey, pushed its face through the bars the best it could and screamed into Link's face, him staring down its throat and receiving tiny drops of saliva on his forehead. He didn't seem fazed.

Arthur, who was now farther from the cell and leaning against the wall with crossed arms, stared at the sight with wide eyes.

After that scream had run its course, Link stared at the wild eyed face of the creature, who was now panting with wide, black irised eyes.

"Are you finished?"

The thing leaped back wards and began to laugh hysterically.

"How did you escape Sinal? Why didn't he finish with you?" Link asked through its giggles.

"I ran. Ranranranranran away!"

"From where?"

"Through the snow!"

"Snow? Were you in the mountains?"

"I loved the snow. I threw a snowball at my sister."

The commander shifted his weight from behind them and said, "His mind doesn't work like ours. It's impossible to tell whether he's speaking out loud a random memory or whether he's answering your question. Snow could be something he happened to recall at some point in his life."

"How is this helping then?" Arthur asked, again, his voice relatively sincere.

"Again, it's better than nothing."

"I'm better than nothing," the thing said, but its eyes were cast downwards like it was taking to itself. "Better than gold. Silver and gold."

"When Sinal did this to you, where were you? Were you in a cell like this?"

"Oh, I love this cell. It's bigger! So much bigger!"

"Big_ger_? So you were in a cell. In a prison. A building."

"Under the snow. It was so cold."

"A cell under the snow?"

It began to whimper then. It placed its hands over its ear and whimpered softly and sweetly, staring at the ground. Link frowned.

"Are you going to help me anymore?"

It whined and shook its head.

"Please help me. I'm a very important person."

"I'm an important person," the thing muttered quietly. "Better than gold."

"I'm a hero." Link took off his glove and showed it his mark. It stared at it for a moment, motionless.

It whimpered and hugged its knees. "You're a helper."

"I want to help the people. Will you help me help them?"

It lowered its head down with wide, spacey eyes.

"Where is Sinal? Where did he take you?" Link leaned forward as the it opened its mouth.

It then murmured, in a stern, taut, quick and quiet voice, "He took me to the Northern Mountains and underground there was a prison, an under ground prison with cells."

Link straightened himself and said loudly and sharply, "I got it," to those around him, as if dismissing any interaction he had with the creature. He stood up and turned around, turning his back on the thing that stared aimlessly towards the stone floor.

He stood up and turned to Arthur, who lifted himself off the wall in preparation to leave. But, before he left, he turned back to the balled up 'man' and said softly,

"Thank you for helping me."

It didn't look at him, it just stared at the ground with watered eyes.

"I'm going to use this information to track down the one who did this to you…and I'm gonna stop him."

The 'man' then looked up from the space between it's torso and knees and stared at him with a broken hearted gaze. It held it for a split second before crying. Link frowned at the sight in soft pity, but then realized the thing wasn't crying, it was laughing. It lifted its head up in a joyful cackle. But it was such a frantic, hysteric laugh, the creature might as well been crying. He felt a tap on his shoulder. Arthur.

He ticked his head towards the door, signaling him that it was time to leave.

The thing's broken, tearful laugh echoed after them. It sat there in the middle of its cell, screaming, laughing and crying all at once. Even though Arthur told him not to do so, Link looked back, he took one glance over his shoulder and caught the sight of the hysteric soul squirming on the ground before the metal door closed in front of his view.

Arthur again placed a hand on his shoulder. He nodded and followed Arthur and the commander down the hall. He thought of rabbits.

* * *

><p>Nobody spoke once they left the halls with the cells. Arthur impressively held his tongue, not asking what the thing said about Sinal's location, not commenting at all actually. Even the guards stayed quietly behind them as they walked through the prison's empty entry ways back to the stair well. They kept their distance, as if allowing the situation to set in.<p>

Link tried to keep his mind on the next step. The next move, next goal. He was pretty good a forgetting the past and moving on. He thought about how he would travel to the mountains, about the long journey, about Zelda, and Sinal.

It almost seemed like Link and Arthur were alone once the hallway stretched into a long, tunnel like length, no exit in sight yet. Their footsteps sounded awfully loud. Link subtly glanced in Arthur's direction, who had his eyes locked on the ground.

When he met his gaze, they both looked ahead once again. "Why are you still here?" Link finally asked as politely as he could, not being able to imagine a reason for him to stay, especially after the sight they witnessed. Link was more wondering, despite his phrasing of the question, whether Arthur _would_ stay rather then why he _did_.

Arthur didn't look at him a second time. "Explain yourself."

"My debt must be growing by minute is what I'm saying."

"I know you're not going to pay me anymore than you already have."

"Then why are you still here?"

Arthur squinted his eyes for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure," he finally said, his voice carrying a certain tone of shame and confession. "I thought I'd be bored by this by now."

"You're having fun?"

Arthur stumbled a moment, like he regretted his words, but only for a moment. "I didn't say that. I'm pretty sure no one's having fun," his eyebrows twitched for a moment. "I just thought that I'd be ready to get moving."

"Got somewhere to go?"

"I never do really. Maybe one day I'll run out of land," he smirked and made a circular motion with his finger in the air. "Then what? Turn around and do it all over again?"

"I don't know. But may-"

"Your uncle is a real dick," Arthur interrupted. "Or at least that's what I assuming. Why did you stay? I mean you were surrounded by horses and you stayed."

"Same as you I suppose. I had no where to go."

"That's a pitiful excuse. You had plenty of places to go. You couldn't have been very happy with just your uncle."

"W- well, how can you be happy traveling all alone?"

" 'Never buy the teeth of a smiling fool' " he chirped with an erie and surprisingly cheery tone.

Link stared at the side of his head, awaiting a follow up explanation. Arthur turned his just enough to catch his glance and rolled his eyes subtly back ahead. It was more an eye roll of discomfort than annoyance.

"I traded in the cards I was dealt," Arthur said finally. "But that doesn't mean I got to choose the new ones. I'm still searching for better cards but they're rare. I'm starting to think it's a bad deck."

"Why stay here then?"

"Well," he said with a sigh. "I feel like there's nothing else waiting for me. I always brag about my love for adventure and thrill and now I found it, so I guess I struck gold, huh?"

"…You don't have to stay if that's what you're getting at."

"I never said that either. I just think if I'm looking for something out there, why wouldn't it be here?"

Link narrowed his eyes. "This won't be an exciting affair."

"I never say that either."

Link stopped dead in his tracks, a sudden wave of frustration taking over him. "Then what are you saying?"

Arthur walked a few more steps before stopping and turning to face him as well. "I think I could serve a purpose here maybe. Do something, at least for a little while. A couple of months give or take."

"What purpose would you serve, exactly?"

"Ouch. I don't think I'm the one you're supposed to interrogate. But, you're right, most of the things I know can be looked up in a book."

"Yeah," Link said with a shrug. "Most things."

After a painful moment of silence, they continued to walk. Arthur suddenly seemed to want to talk by his own will. "I used to be afraid of this place, you know."

"This place? You mean Hyrule?"

"Yeah. I did my best to keep my distance, but it has a way of leaving its mark on you, doesn't it?"

"Why?"

"I dunno know, the way the land is formed, the people, the art, the musi-"

"No, why did you want to stay away?"

"This place has a fucked up history, man. I don't want any part of it. I don't want to be one of those suffering souls that die or know someone who dies."

"Why did you come back?"

"Well, I always told myself if the war did worsen," he made a grand gesture with his arm. "I would be long gone, over the hills, but instead, for some reason I can't understand, I find myself here, next to the hero himself, going off to save the-" he let's out a breath. "fucking princess."

Link stared at Arthur for a long moment, holding eye contact boldly as his own quivered and occasionally darted to the side. Eventually, slightly shifting his weight on the foot closest to the direction they were traveling in, he said,

"Is that a good enough answer for you?"

"I didn't really get one."

"And you never will."

**_Someday, someday I'll be able to upload with out an author's note. i just need to thank some of my readers for helping me with this chapter (Irene, K-ger), and my good friend 'storytelling the wayitused to be"_**

**_This reviewer is actually my friend in person. She was the one who introduced me to Fanfiction. She made an account and is supporting me on this site so I wanted to thank her for that (even though she might not see this note, she only goes on fan fiction to review every now and then for support)._**

**_And thank you for those who saw my art account. I'm gonna do a piece of work for Random so keep an eye out for that!_**

**_Songs:_**

**_Saria and Arthur (and their relationship with Link): Red Hands by Walk of the Earth_**

**_Arthur (and his relationship with Link): Flaws by Bastille _**

**_Saria: Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine _**


	35. Chapter 35: Frostbite and Third Degree

**_FEW I NEVER THOUGHT I'D GET THIS CHAPTER DONE. I'm sorta iffy on this chapter. I've been super busy lately with midterms and SATS so I apologize for the long wait and a kind of iffy result. ALSO If I'm not keeping up with reviews or PM, LET ME KNOW! i've been a mess lately! Im so sorry! _**

**_Chapter 35: Frostbite and Third Degree_**

"Please," Zelda whimpered from inside the carriage as she shivered violently. Her fingers and toes have gone numb along with her mind. She knew she was dying. Although her knowledge allowed her to be aware that this is impossible, but she felt like her blood was now slush, slowly slugging through her veins.

"Please," she wept louder. Zelda was not one to beg, but she was dying. She refused to die like this, on her way to meet the enemy instead of him killing her himself. She knew, deep in her bones, that she was before capable of escaping the situation, loosely tied up like she was a helpless young calf. She could have, but she didn't. She was going to choose her moment, pretend to be helpless, but she began to convince herself, as her body froze, that she had missed her chance and now she truly was helpless. How pathetic of her, she believed, to hold out simply to gain more information and weapons from the enemy.

"Are you cold already?" the girl asked from ahead. "I thought I had a few more degrees until you started to complain. Well, I guess the horse is dying too."

She ripped open the carriage cover, the blinding light of undisturbed snow painfully blinding Zelda, and laid her eyes on her, who was pale and blue tipped. "Ah, fuck. Don't die. If you die, I die. Then we'll have to carry on our lovely conversations in the after life."

"My soul will never go where yours does. Souls like yours are full of hatred and evil and will decay together in a place agony."

The girl pouted her lip as if she was thinking it over and glanced up. "Alright," she said casually. "in that case I'll be able to talk to your mother instead."

Zelda stayed back with dead eyes.

"You set me up for that one," the girl grunted as she climbed into the carriage. "Ah!" she said as she pulled out a few blankets out of a crate. "Aren't we lucky?"

She coldly placed them over Zelda's shoulders.

"Put them around my feet," she said, starring at her feet, watching them reach the point of amputation.

"Last time I checked," the girl began as she began to crawl backwards away from her."Ya don't need your feet to survive. We can amputate them later."

"You can't just wrap a piece of cloth around them?"

"I can. But I won't."

Surprisingly, Zelda seemed to accept this fact without a fight, or at least so visual signs of resistance. Instead she merely looked down at her feet beneath her lightly clothed boots and silently said goodbye to them. It wasn't the pain of loosing them that sent fear through her veins, it was the images of the future that flashed before her eyes, the further of not being able to walk. The useless, defenseless princess who couldn't even walk on her own. Beyond the castle walls, she felt like she was beginning to gain respect, respect from her father, from the others that carried noble blood, the people she'd rule one day. But without the ability to carry herself tall, she would become nothing.

Perhaps none of this would matter, the logically part of her mind proposed. Once Sinal did curse her mind to illness, she would be reduced to the state of a patient in a hospital. She may not even be aware that her feet were missing if her mind was racing with other thoughts of insanity. Perhaps the girl was bluffing. It was impossible to tell whether that sharp smile is genuine, like she actually enjoyed the mental torture, or whether it was an act of intimidation.

The girl let herself down off the carriage, her hands the last thing to leave it. It was then Zelda noticed the blue and black tips appearing on the girl's fingers as she lowered herself out onto the snow. "You have frost bite as well," she said, wondering if this would encourage her to make a change in their course somehow, any change that would work in their favor in any way.

The girl lifted her finger nails and stared at them nonchalantly. "Blue is a nice color, wouldn't you agree?"

"You're going to loose your fingers."

"I'll write my information on them just in case."

The girl then closed the carriage without another word and left Zelda alone in the dark, feeling colder and more helpless then before, even when the considerably thick blanket over her shoulders.

She stared at her feet for a few long moments before effortfully squirming onto her knees, tucking them under her body heat. It was less comfortable then her previous position, but at least she had a chance to save her them. But if she couldn't escape, it truly did not matter.

* * *

><p>The commander released Link and Arthur by the prison stairway entrance, assuring them that he would personally inform the king about the information they uncovered and the direction they were taking. Link couldn't help but distrust his sickly smile, as if he felt the commander didn't trust them as well, or didn't believe 'the man' or didn't believe in the two of them. He wondered whether he would actually inform the king or whether he was just sending the two pests away, and perhaps he would use the information to his advantage to earn himself credit or have the glory of leading his own regiment to the mountains. Thousands of possibilities ran threw his mind as the commander concluded his last sentence.<p>

Link didn't know what it was about the commander that made him think this poorly of him, perhaps it was the way his eyes stared down at him, even though they were physically the same height, or the way he stood unnaturally erect.

Arthur, who never really trusted anyone in the first place, gave a quick nod and began to walk away, Link following him a few hesitations later.

Saria was waiting for them in the castle hall, a guard by her side. She immediately straightened when Arthur and Link approached, like she was awaiting news after a surgery of a loved one.

However, when she saw the expression they shared, the light in her curious eyes died. "Do I want to know?" she asked.

Arthur shook his head at her as they both passed, her following behind a few seconds later. Link and Arthur glanced at her behind their shoulders then gave each other a look. Arthur inhaled and opened his mouth as if to tell her something, eyes still on Link, but shut it, as if whatever he was going to say wasn't worth it.

So they all walked in silence throughout the castle, which seemed quieter then before. There were no hustling soldiers to break up the silence this time. The halls seemed longer and emptier, darker.

The only sound that occurred there in this castle was the sound of the doors opening at the end of this hall way, squeaks of metal and thumps of footsteps. There was two guards, one who Arthur recognized as his interrogator, that were escorting in a new prisoner, who Link recognized as his uncle. As they approached each other, he noticed the deep, icy glare his uncle was directing towards him, as if his uncle was looking at him before the doors even opened. Link blankly stared back, slightly turning his head to hold this glare as they passed each other, even when his uncle was forced to look forward again, his glare reluctantly leaving Link and focusing itself ahead.

"Link," Arthur said both softly and curtly, directing his attention forward once again.

He flinched and followed his companions, taking the necessary long and quick strides to make his way up front.

His uncle disappeared into the darkness of the prison stairway.

* * *

><p>The castle supplied them money and supplies for their journey; a small, well stitched pouch filled with 30 rupees, 20 of them being hundreds, five being fifties, and the rest twenties. It was a lot of money in one place to Link and Saria and even to Arthur, but to Arthur, he saw it as the bare minimum to get by. They all agreed to buy supplies while they were still in the town, especially warmer clothes and food.<p>

The town made their spirits lighter, slightly and relatively, with the added sun light and sounds. All three of them had more of a bounce to their step, whether it was an improved mood or eagerness and anxiety to start the next part of their journey was impossible to distinguish.

Link felt like Arthur and Saria was joined at his hips, one for each side. They gave him space, but he felt if he suddenly changed direction, they would immediately do the same and follow close behind.

He kept his head down almost by habit now, not wanting to draw anymore attention to himself. He kept feeling like his glove was going to slip off, even though that was impossible, considering it was already pretty snug to begin with and growing tighter even inch he grew.

"Wait, wait, wait," Saria began, but didn't dare slow her step for the two boys would bolt ahead if she did. "Do we know where we're going?"

"More than before."

"…And where is that? Someone tell me what's going on."

"We're going to the North mountains," Link answered.

Arthur looked at him with raised eyebrows. "So we're believing that thing?"

"Do you not?"

"No I do, I was just wondering whether you did or not. A lot of eggs to put in one basket though."

"He's right," Saria said matter of factly. "The North mountains are far and we'll never survive like this. What did the castle think?"

"The commander said he'd tell the king. I'm sure they'll send reinforcements after us," Arthur said before glancing at Link, "I mean, no offense, but I wouldn't trust you to carry this out alone at first glance…I wouldn't trust you at all exactly."

"Well, I have a feeling the commander feels the same," Link muttered. That seemed to end the conversation, no one had anything else to add.

The only verbal interaction they had after that was surrounded around money and supplies. There were a few arguments, the most fueled one being between Saria and Arthur. He insisted that buying more sufficient weapons and paying attention to armor and combat was more important than medical supplies while she argued the opposite.

"Would you rather have a fancy new arrow or be dead?!"

"I wouldn't be dead if I could use the new arrow to kill whatever wants to kill me first!"

Link watched the two basically scream at each other in front of a merchant shop, surprisingly impartial. He thought both were equally important. He used to consider himself the kind of person who would choose medicine first, safety over recklessness, defense before offense, but now, he felt the need to carry a knife in his boot, a dagger in his belt, and a sword on his back more than ever before.

A small droplet of saliva flew off Arthur's lip and hit Saria's nose, but she, red in the face, didn't seem to notice. As he watched the two of them, Link couldn't help but feel like they were all to young to be embarking on this journey, especially if they couldn't make decisions shopping.

"Link!" they both snapped, each looking towards him to settle the argument. He stared at them blankly.

"Um, get both."

"If we could get both, we wouldn't have a problem!"

"Get both," a new but familiar voice said suddenly. A young man was approaching them, another right behind him.

Link turned slightly, then fully when he recognized him. "Jack?"

"Hey stranger!" he barked and swung his weight around Link's shoulder, boyishly ruffling his hair. "Hella long time no see!"

Link felt like a deer in headlights for some odd reason. He and Jack were good friends, but he couldn't help but feel like a stranger was roughly rubbing his scalp.

"Aw, I wish Richard came with us, man! He woulda loved to see your ass!" Jack cheered and shook Link's shoulders. "What's wrong? You mute?"

"N-no, just surprised," he shook his head. _Jack, you know Jack. "_I can't believe you're here!"

"Well," he said with a bright smile. "I do live here."

"Right," Link said with a furrowed brow. "How are you? How's everyone actually?"

"They're…alright," he said slowly. "They're fine," he said more definitively.

"That's…good."

Jack tapped his own cheek. "I see the fire got you too, eh?"

Link lifted his hand and felt his own burn. He decided to not mention it was from a different fire. "Oh yeah. I guess so. Is everything okay with that? Is every_one_ okay?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Everyone's pretty broke, like shit broke. But Richard's doing a good job at…" he made his hands look like he was squeezing an invisible ball. "..keeping everything together."

"That's…good."

It was the he noticed John was by Jack's side, quiet and not smiling. He could have sworn John was friendly when he worked for him.

He also knew that burn wasn't there before, the burn that seemed to start on the back of his hand, disappear under his shirt and continue onto his neck and part of his chin. Link frowned at the sight at first but quickly drew his eyes away from his skin and to his eyes. "Hi John."

John seemed to keep his eye contact downwards. "How are you, sir?"

Jack gave Link a look that disappeared so fast he couldn't even tell what it was.

"I'm good."

Jack bounced on his heels for a moment. "Soooo, were you_ planning _on saying hi or are we just extremely lucky to run into you here?"

"Well I-"

"I'm just busting your balls, man, but I seriously suggest you come back to the ranch and get a drink, catch up a bit, cuz I have a feeling your blood alcohol level is way too low," he glanced at Arthur and Saria and said, "These two can come too." He shot Saria a crooked smile, she responded by looking at Link with a raised eyebrow.

Arthur smirked. "Trust me, you have no idea how tempting that sounds. I'm so fucking dry that I almost drank this one's cough medicine," he said, a finger pointed at Saria. "But my client here is already on an air tight schedule and is experiencing too much exposure as it is."

His voice was exaggerated so Jack gave a soft chuckle but still looked at Link for an explanation. When Link didn't give the expected reaction, Jack frowned.

"You serious?"

"I'm sorry Jack," Link said genuinely. "I really have to go. I wish I could explain. Please, don't tell anyone I'm here, you know, because-"

"Yeah," Jack began. "Because once the people know you're walking around, they know the war's really begun."

And with that, Jack turned, handed a red rupee to Saria and walked away, John following close behind.

"Nice to see you, Hero of Legends!" Jack cheered behind his shoulder with a sad smile. "You look _terrible_!"

Link watched them walk away, carrying the same expression.

* * *

><p>As Arthur swung his new swivel around his back, purchased with Jack's money, he planted a palm on Link's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I spoke for you back there. If you wanna stay and drink with your horse buddies, you can I guess."<p>

"No," Link began as they began to walk away from the stand. "It would be….uncomfortable. And we do have to leave." He was silent for a moment but made it seem like he was about to speak, making Arthur wait. He suddenly looked him in the eyes with a sincere concern in his eyes and croaked, "I wanna get her back."

Arthur glanced down and nodded. "Yeah, I know…" he then patted Link's back again and winked. "But, hey, the hero's going to save the damsel in distress, that's the way it's supposed to be, right?"

Link didn't respond.

"Arthur?"

Another new voice, this time belonging to a pretty young woman. She was staring at the back of the traveler's head with squinted eyes, trying to recall how she knew him.

They all stopped and turned, except for Arthur who looked behind his shoulder just enough to catch a glimpse of her, then winced harshly, reached forward, and gripped Link's collar, pulling him back into motion.

"Arthur!" the girl barked after them, hands on her hips.

He ducked his head as they fast walked through the square and said to Link, "Yeah, let's get out of this fucking town."

The three of them then disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

><p>By that point in the journey, Zelda had forced her self to focus on the details in the wood and cloth which became clearer over time in the space between her legs, which couldn't possibly be more mundane. The only color in the carriage was the discoloration on her skin, the only sound was the wheels pushing against the thick snow painfully, groaning and creaking with stress. And then it stopped. She didn't move, feeling like if she lifted her neck new skin would be exposed to the biting air and would make her even colder, even though her logical mind knew that movement warmed the body. But it was hard for her to access any logic at that point, she felt like her brain was freezing along with her blood and nerves.<p>

"Um…." the girl called. "I think we have to walk from here."

_No. _Zelda knew if she was made to walk, she wouldn't make it. "I can't," she murmured in a broken voice to herself.

"Yeah you can, it's literally right here."

She didn't waste the energy wondering how the girl could have possible heard that. Even when she heard the carriage open once again, she still refused to look up, keeping her head buried in in her knees. The girl frowned at the top of her blonde scalp. "Listen, princess, I know you're freezing. I am too. We're in the fucking North Mountains. If I didn't have a literal psychopath with an army in his palm and the shortest fuse, no you know what, his fuse it so short, he doesn't have one, he's a fuseless man. If I didn't have a guy like him waiting for me, I would have stopped and got a few fucking ponchos. But there is a way for you to warm yourself, you can through fear. Let your heart race and your skin sweat knowing who and what you are about to experience. Imagine the torture, the screams, the blood, oh, there's so much blood. So cheer up, soon you won't even notice the cold."

The girl ended up having to pick Zelda up and carry her across the frozen plain, the two of them dark specs heading into a white horizon. They were the only things there, traveling towards nothing, shin deep in snow.

**Oh and I know i said this last time, but please please check Deviantart again (LinksLily no apostrophe) cuz I uploaded a ton of new character sketches! More on thhe way**


	36. Chapter 36: Big Bad Sinal

**Hey guys. i wanted to thank you all for the added support I got on the last chapter. God you guys like disturbing stuff! In that case...YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE THIS CHAPTER AND ADORE THE NEXT ONE. Although the writing part may seem a bit rushed, I think plot wise this is one of my better chapters (on Zelda's part, not so sure about the three travelers one) Let me know what u guys think, i felt ****a little**** iffy about the scenes with L A and S. And check out Dairy of Kate, a story I just published that corresponds with ATL in a really cool and unique way!**

**Chapter 36: Big Bad Sinal**

The three travelers were on foot as the sun hung high in the sky, tugging their exhausted steeds through the forest who refused to dodge and dart through the trees. The paranoid hero leading the way, they pushed their trusty four legged companions to their limit across the rugged terrain of the land. By this point, there was no cleared path for them, which told them just how far they were traveling into the woods. Saria walked up beside Arthur, who carried the burden of the compass.

"So you do know where we're going?" Saria asked as they trudged up a hill. She drew a hand across her sweaty forehead, the thick humidity of the spring forest getting to her.

"Yes, it's not that hard," Arthur gestured forward lazily as the land began to flatten out."Just keep heading North. And enjoy that heat while it lasts, once we go up those mountains, you'll be begging for it."

"Well maybe if we spent more money on the parkas-" she suddenly tripped on a root and stumbled backwards, but Arthur reached out and snatched her arm before she could fall and as he pulled her up he grunted,

"Hey, klutz, we did spend money on parkas. Those things are expensive, you're lucky we could afford three."

She drew her hands down over her skirt and murmured,

"Yeah but we could have used the thicker-"

_THUD. _

They both whipped around to see Link collapsed on floor, Epona nuzzling his hair in confusion.

They then shared an eyebrow raised look and said nothing.

* * *

><p>"You're insane," Zelda croaked meekly in the girl's grey hued arms. The weak princess couldn't help but rest her head against the girl's chest, adjusting it so the spiky, sharply designed armor wouldn't pierce her scalp.<p>

"I prefer mentally disabled."

"There is nothing out here. Nothing but snow. You'll get us both killed."

"Just because I'm crazy doesn't make me wrong."

"What do you expect to find out here?"

"I don't expect to find anything, I expect to get there."

Zelda let out a pathetic whimper and closed her eyes. There was no arguing with her, there was no escaping, there was nothing she could do. She felt like the two of them would soon collapse and disappear under the snow forever.

"You are very pretty."

Zelda opened her eyes and looked up at the girl, who was staring at her. "..What?"

"You're pretty. Your face looks nice."

"W-…." she honestly had no idea how to respond to a comment like that at a time like that.

"I wish I had blue eyes. They're memorizing, aren't they?"

She glanced up at the girl and awkwardly looked into her eyes, a deep violet. She said the first thing to come to mind. "Violet eyes are rare."

"Yeah," the girl shrugged, taking Zelda with her. "Rare. But my color is too solid. What you see is what you get. Just a surface. But blue eyes, blue eyes are vast and clear and open and illumines. When you stare at blue eyes, you feel like there's so much more beneath the surface, like you can stare at them forever."

Zelda didn't respond to that. She just looked into the metallic shimmer of the girl's right breast plate. She could just see the outline of her own profile.

She didn't move again until the girl stopped. She slowly moved her neck to look ahead and indeed did see…something. She couldn't tell what it was, but it was dark. Black almost. It seemed like a large bat that huddled its body beneath its wings. On the tip of these wings were two sharp horns. That was all Zelda could make out, a black body huddled with wings and two sharp horns. It seemed to be perched on a pedestal that stuck out of the snow. It was dead still.

The girl cleared her throat.

The thing then began to stir, unfolding its grand black wings and sitting up to expose its body, which was eerily human…however it was missing an arm. There was only a bloody, mauled stump in its place. Its face was covered by an odd bird mask, a black crow with an extended beak. It was a gothic masquerade mask that was sewed on to it's skin, the bloody stitches being something Zelda didn't notice at the time.

With tiny dark eyes that ticked back and forth like a round switch, it looked at the girl through tiny holes in the mask. It was clearly a dark soul; a large, frightening one at that.

"Let me in," the girl demanded.

It took another moment, like it needed to process the demand, before slowly sliding off the pedestal. The girl began to put Zelda down on her feet, which sunk into the snow with no feeling.

"You should walk on your own for now, don't wan't to appear weak in front of him."

When Zelda met her eyes, the girl shrugged and said, "Gotta give you something."

The dark soul was staring at the shivering princess intently and coldly as it placed its feet into the snow. She actually found her self migrating towards the girl's side when she noticed this, somehow thinking she would be safer that way rather than out in the open in front of the thing.

"Don't worry about him," the girl said casually. "He shouldn't cause any trouble. I assume he knows better than that. But don't get too close to him or he'll bite ya!" she chirped.

Zelda looked at the thing, actually looked at it. She peered through the holes of it's mask and glanced into the beady black eyes that held a lifeless shine, like those of a doll.

"….seriously, I think he's a cannibal," the girl added.

She pulled her eyes away but the dark soul continued to stare at Zelda as it crawled around the pedestal like a deformed infant, on its one hand and knees like all dark souls crawled. Zelda always thought that's what gave them such a disturbing appearance, the fact that the ones who traveled on all fours were never four legged, they just couldn't stand. It stopped for a moment, like it refused to remove its attention away from her.

"Come on!" the girl snapped.

It didn't flinch, it didn't show any response at all towards the girl in fact, it simply looked away from the princess and wrapped around the pedestal post like an odd snake and began to press in the carved in squares that were sprawled over its surface. Ancient symbols were inscribed into each one The dark soul was pressing them frantically and in a specific, complex order, each square sinking into the pedestal and coming back out with each press. The thing must have learned that code countless times, it must have been drilled into its mind.

The second it finished it crawled back onto its pedestal and curled itself up again.

The air seemed still after that, like something was about to happen. And so it did. A few seconds after the dark soul finished its frantic routine, there was a soft vibration beneath their feet, as if the ground itself was having a seizure. Zelda stepped back imprudently, thinking she could escape it.

A crack in the earth appeared right behind the pedestal, no sign of damage in front of it, as if the structure itself was causing the crack.

And then the earth itself split in two. It was incredible really, the way it opened itself up like a zipper, like that of a large, puffy white winder coat. If Zelda wasn't so petrified, she would have thought it was incredible. But instead, all she could think about was the cannibalistic eyes staring at the side of her face, probably thinking that her flesh looked smooth and clean and fresh. When the earth opened, she didn't stand in awe and marvel at the two separating sides. She just stared down into the dark opening, shaking barefoot in the snow, thinking about her fate once she would be forced to make her way down those stone steps into the ground. She almost didn't even notice the violent shaking, the slight rumble that she once felt beneath her feet had transformed into a full on tremor. The dark soul that sat perched upon the pedestal shook as well but still appeared lifeless, like the only movement it presented was the earth shaking it like it was a vase inching towards the edge of the table during an earth quake.

When it seized, there was a gouge left in the earth that was so deep it was black, except for the dust colored steps that lead downwards into it.

"Who's insane now?" the girl asked as she passed by Zelda and made her way down the stair case two steps. She turned to the princess, who was still frozen still at the pedestal. "Come on," she encouraged, like she tugging the leash of a dog.

Zelda realized she was alone, free in some twisted way. She looked over her shoulder but saw nothing but a vast landscape of white that stretched for miles and miles. The carriage before was either gone or too far to be seen with the naked eye.

The girl waited for her on that second step and stared at the back of her head. "You know you can't run."

The princess did know that, she just wished it wasn't true. She looked forward again, a glaring black scar in her view, took a deep, subtle breath and made herself as tall as she could. The girl was right. If she was going to face the monster that would disease her mind, she should appear proud and strong. She might as well. Confidently she began to make her way around the pedestal to the abyss. However, when she passed by the perched dark soul, that to her seemed more like a lifeless gargoyle, it moved. It sprang to life and lunged towards her, broken jaw drooping past the mask and the claws of one hand extended out towards her skin. It flapped its wing, screeched and sunk its teeth into the fabric of Zelda's gown, which now was merely a tattered tan dress. It slipped slightly off the pedestal which it refused to leave, and missed her actual flesh as she darted to the side and yelped. A small piece of this fabric was left hanging from its jaw.

She stood there for a moment, fake confidence shattered, breathing so heavily that you could see her shoulders rise and fall.

Like a startled deer, she lacked the ability to move again, especially not towards the front of the pedestal, with her back turned to the hellish beast.

The girl rolled her eyes and stomped back up to the surface. As the girl stormed towards the creature, Zelda stumbled back a few steps and fell backwards, not having her arms free to balance herself. She soon found her self eye level to a disturbing sight; the girl grabbed the long black beak of the soul's mask and violently tugged it downwards and forwards, stretching the stitches that held it fasten to the things face. It screeched and followed her pull, trying to soften the tear. Zelda watched the thing squirm violently not three feet away from her own face.

"You don't hurt the guests," the girl scorned. "Sinal does that! You don't want Sinal to find out you tried to kill his most prized prisoner, do you? Do you?!"

"_Nooooo mistress_!" it cried, black blood oozing from the frame of its mask and dripping onto the snow.

She released it, allowing it to immediately crawl back on top of the pedestal and continue to shelter itself with its wings, as if nothing had happened.

The girl then looked down at the princess swallowed by snow and asked, "Now are you ready?"

The princess looked up with a changing expression. At first it was a petrified, helpless gaze of fear and loss, but it transformed itself into a cold glare.

She clumsily pulled her self out of the bank and followed the girl as they began to walk down into the ground. As the earth began to closed up above them and as the light began to disappear, Zelda said towards the back of the girl's head,

"You will all be murdered."

The girl kept her head high and her attention forward as the darkness consumed her face and breathed, "Good."

As the earth began to shut completely, Zelda looked up behind her shoulder once more to catch the last glimpse of natural light escape her. Her wide blue eyes that were once illuminated by the glow of the snow became casted in a deep shadow as the two halves finally came together in a finally shudder.

* * *

><p>A new, deeper set of blue eyes opened with an anxious inhale. Link was lying on his back, awakening from a dreamless sleep. Thick fog covered the ground three a foot into the air. He was engulfed by grey, only a few blades of grass by his side to give him a slight idea of where he was. He was completely clothed.<p>

"Link?" Saria was on her knees and by his side suddenly, as if she appeared from nowhere, a gentle hand on his arm. No matter how soothing the touch, he still flinched. "Sorry. Are you alright?"

"Did I oversleep?"

"No…" she said with a furrowed brow as if it was on odd question. "Link you fainted."

He sat up slowly. "I what?"

"You must have been dehydrated."

"W-where are we?"

"We're in the forest right below the Northern Mountains."

"Oh right. I remember." He did remember walking the horses through the thick, foggy forest. He did not remember loosing consciousness or even beginning to feel light headed. He did remember the loud sound of his horse's hooves driving him insane. He remembered how tired he felt, as if he didn't have the strength to take his next steps, but he also remembered not breaking a sweat at all. He remembered his dry mouth….his pounding head….He started to believe he actually did faint.

"Look at me," she said and took his face in her hands. She stared adroitly into his eyes, like she was observing something. But suddenly she jolted forward and clumsily squashed her face into his, their noses and foreheads painfully colliding with a thud.

It was then Arthur appeared from behind her, gnawing on an apple and smiling as he strolled by the two of them.

"Sorry," Saria said as she moved the ruffled strands of dirty brown blonde hair away from Link's eyes. "He kicked me in the back."

"Vey mature," Link growled at Arthur as he rubbed his nose.

"At least I didn't faint like a little girl."

"Why did I faint?" Link whispered harshly half to Saria half to himself.

She shook her head with a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand. "It's completely natural for you to feel a little overwhelmed. You're tired, you're stressed, you have a lot on your mind. It-"

"It happens to lots of guys," Arthur cooed suddenly into the air mockingly. "It's fine, baby, don't worry about it."

Link glared at him over his shoulder while Saria stifled a smirk.

"Seriously, you're just stressed." It was difficult for her to get that last part out with a straight face.

"Yeah," Arthur said as he passed by them a second time. "You're just a little scared."

"Scared?" Link demanded as he scrambled to his feet.

"Of Sinal. Big bad Sinal."

Link took a few steps toward him. "What makes you think I'm scared?"

"You mean besides-" Arthur began to mock again, making his voice light and airy. " '_Sinal? We're going towards Sinal?_' " he placed the back of his hand against his forehead and acted dizzy. " _'Oh dear'_ ?"

By the time he was finished with his obnoxious question, Link was clenching his fists, invisible in the thick fog. "I'm not afraid."

Arthur glanced at Saria, apple in grip, then looked back at Link. "You're telling me you're not nervous at all? It's okay to be. I mean you are human," he gave a sickly half smile. "You can admit to being a little uneasy."

"Arthur," Saria warned, her color faded amongst the grey.

"No," he said and lifted his chin, stepping towards Link. "He should prepare himself for this."

Link was biting the inside of his lip violently as he watched Arthur's dark eyes stare him down. The weather was so obscure and drastic, it seemed as if the two of them were the only things that existed.

"You're not scared of Sinal? The man who single handily destroyed thousands of villages and slaughtered millions of your people? I mean, the guy can turn you insane," Arthur said, his voice rich and stern, his face now inches away from Link's, "like that," he lifted his hand and snapped, letting out a loud, sharp noise. Link's eyebrows twitched slightly, his own, private version of a flinch. "And you're not afraid at all?"

After a moment Link began, "Maybe I am a little afraid of Sinal….I'll admit to that. I'm young, barely a man myself, and I don't even have the sword yet. But I'll tell you one thing I'm damn sure of," he growled as he leaned in closer to Arthur's smug expression. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Well, then why don't you take a swing at me? It'd be good practice for the real thing. If you can't beat a glorified bastard like me, then we're all in deep shit."

"Don't," Saria breathed. "Come on you two."

"No," Arthur refuted and slid his foot back in a ready stance. "I'm serious. Admitting he's a little psyched out is the first step. Let's test your reflexes, hero, let's see what you got."

Link could almost feel the heat behind the young vagabond's eyes and could tell there was something else that was bothering him; Arthur couldn't have felt so passionate about what was happening at that moment. Knowing this didn't stop Link from sliding his own foot back in preparation for a fight, wondering if it would indeed help him, be it in a rather twisted way. He also believed he was being underestimated; his armored tunic and pants shadowed it, but he had an impressive build up from working on the ranch, with his own two calloused hands. The bulk that Arthur carried was all in his egotistical head, fueled by multiple bar fights and escaping authorities, or at least that's what Link was assuming.

Whether he had a hidden motive or not, Arthur was enjoying himself as he bounced his weight from foot to foot, almost to the point where he carried a macabre appearance. If he was a dog, his mouth would be foaming.

"The last thing Link needs is a fight!" Saria snapped.

Arthur stared at her for a moment, then straightened himself, flicked his nose, and said, "Yeah, you're right. You're right. Don't want him fainting again now do we? He should save that for Sinal."

That was it. Usually Link would resort to a simple punch, something that seemed reserved and noble in a hand on hand brawl, yet blunt and effective. But this time, for some reason, he didn't cock back his fist and swing a coordinated blow to Arthur's nose. He just rammed into him like he was trying to crash through a wall.

That seemed effective enough. Link's weight smashed Arthur to the ground, the back of his head painfully whipping the forest floor. The two roughly wrestled for a moment with Link, although clearly overpowering Arthur, clumsily failed to pin down the squirming, long limbed animal beneath him. There wasn't any real skill involved, just brute strength and in Link's case, frustration.

"You son of a bitch," he grunted.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

Eventually the two became equal and the fight was pointless, no clear winner in sight as they boyishly tossed and rolled across the ground. Link's hand was wrapped around Arthur's throat, who was violently pulling Link's hair, when Saria, eyes rolled so far into her head her irises disappeared, suddenly screeched,

_"__Oh my gods!_"

Before the two knew it, they're ears were being pinched so hard it forced them to let go of each other and slowly stand up.

_"__Ow ow ow ow ow!"_

"Now stop it, you, you idiots!" Saria scorned as she gripped their ears, one in each hand. "We definitely won't kill Sinal if we kill each other first!"

"…He started it…"

When she released them, they looked at their feet as if they were young children who deserved to be disciplined. She whipped a finger towards Arthur.

"Stop teasing Link because if you saw even a glimpse of Sinal you would turn on a dime with your tails between your legs!"

Link felt a smile creep on his face that died as quickly as it was born when her finger swiveled around and pointed at him.

"And Link, gain some confidence and thicken your skin! I expect this kind of behavior from someone like Arthur but not from you. Don't let him or anybody else get to you and keep your head up!"

He simply nodded.

"Now," she sighed as she walked over to their baggage, leaving the two young men to wallow in their shame. Canteen in hand, she strolled back to them and said, "Arthur, you shut up, Link, you drink up."

She walked away, seeming, if it was possible, a few inches taller than usual. Link lifted the canteen to his lips and began to drink, Arthur eyeing this as he walked by.

And then, without even looking, he swiftly placed two fingers on the bottom of the canteen and tilted it upwards, causing Link to spill on himself.

Arthur caught the fury in Link's eyes, smirked, and bolted away into the fog chortling, Link charging after him.

"Oh, come on!" Saria snapped as they blew by her.

* * *

><p><strong>And shout out to Randombutloved, who has been awesome with reviewing lately! Check out her amazing stories, especially Ancient Roots! <strong>

**And of course shout out to K'ger, check out SWM.**

**Last thing, please please review (And follow/fav) if you haven't already. i LIVE off response and feedback. (I'll return the favor with a review)**


	37. Chapter 37: One Beautiful Blend

_**Chapter 37: One Beautiful Blend**_

To her, the worst thing about it was the sounds. Not the eerie light engendered by smothered flames within dirty lanterns that merely hued the brown walls. It was not the claustrophobic feeling of being underground, when each breath she took felt thick and toxic. Not even the fact that Sinal was waiting for her. The thing that disturbed Zelda the most was the sounds, and at first, the lack of. As she followed the girl down the steps and descended downwards, the only thing she could hear was the occasional shift of a pebble beneath their feet, or the scuff of their heels against the stone floor. But soon her bare feet became wet, pressing against the stone floor in many more subtle sounds. She imagined her moist, blue hued feet looked like those of a corpse, which, she believed, they would be soon.

The next audible sound was the light patter of the melted snow that dripped from the tip of her nose onto the ground, it was that quiet. She could hear everything and anything, and she hated it. The girl was right, the cold was not on her mind anymore. In fact, it was fairly warmer under ground, of course, Zelda didn't notice this.

As the ground flattened out into a large tunnel, which seemed to continue forever under the crust of the earth, new sounds arose, ones that she would not soon forget. They were cries of torture and pain, muffled and soft but managed to be powerful enough from its source to reach her. She felt as if screams became louder and clearer with every step she took, and she began to feel the misery of having to push forward into this horrific place. She was traveling through molasses, her bones became stone and held rust between the joints, but there was something that kept her moving, step after step, like she wasn't in control of herself.

_Under the water and back again_

_Don't drown _

_Don't be Ben_

_You can jump_

_You can dive_

_Just don't fall in_

_Don't you die_

Soon a set of doors illuminated by two torches on either side appeared, as if from nowhere. A lock laid on the door, a manual one that had inscribed rows and required a set of numbers. The girl nonchalantly unlocked it, gracefully dragging her fingers across each metallic row.

464646 it read.

_464646, 464646_. Zelda repeated those numbers to herself over and over, like anyone would, but then, new things demanded her attention, like sight of the make shift cells embedded in the walls and, of course, the sounds. The numbers began to scramble in her mind, as if she was recalling a dream.

When they breached past the doorway, whimpers and cries filled the air, now even louder, as if the door provoked the owners of them further. Hearing them encouraged Zelda's urge to bolt in the opposite direction, but the second the idea reached her mind, the door closed behind her with a loud, vibrating thud. She wasn't sure she would have followed her impulse in the first place, but now, she didn't even have the option. She inhaled once, tightened her jaw, and refused to look back. It was pointless.

_Poor Ben,_

_He fell back then_

_Fell and died_

_His mother cried_

She didn't bother listening to the disturbing calls of the prisoners, similar to the ones she heard once in the cathedral. Calls for family members, of fear and pain, both physical and emotional, and, especially, of rape, which stuck with her the most. Even though she drowned them out, she knew someone, somewhere in the prison, dark soul or not, was screaming 'don't touch me'. She drowned them out because somehow it was worse this time, these were people, not dark souls. They were imprisoned and being tortured….dark souls in the making. It was a horrific factory, and no how much she wanted to, she couldn't jam the conveyor belt. Not now.

_Under the water and back again_

_Don't drown_

_Don't be Ben_

As she passed each cell, she could see in the corner of her eye someone in side and if they were not silent, she could hear the voice that belonged to the body. But she refused to look at them directly, she was already petrified and stunned enough. She didn't need to look at them or hear their cries and feel that sense of hopelessness that hung in the air so thickly it was almost tactile.

Suddenly, from an intersecting hallway, another strange figure joined the girl's side. Zelda flinched; this figure, who she assumed was a male, glided into her view so quickly it was as if he was a shadow.

"Hello there," the girl chimed.

Zelda decided she would focus on him instead of the things to her side.

Although she could only see the back of his head, he appeared to be more human, like the girl, but with a few, disturbing imperfections that gave his insanity away. His armor was light, sharp and slightly decayed, like he has wore it since the day he was born.

"Greetings."

"Guess who I got?"

He barely turned his head and lays his eyes on me, which weren't gaping black holes like the other dark souls, but were actual eyeballs. His irises, however, were pitch black, which practically gave the same callous feel. His skin, which barely clung to his skull, was so scared and burned she couldn't even tell where his features began. He did have skin, which was an improvement in a twisted way.

"A girl," he said as he turned his head forward once again. His voice sounded normal, being that there seemed to be only one.

"Not just a girl, a princess."

"Ah. He'll be…content."

"Somehow content's still too strong of a word," the girl chirped. "How's the schizophrenia?"

"You know he doesn't like to categorize them like that. It's all one beautiful blend of mental deficiency."

"I don't care. You're schizophrenic."

"It'd be in your, perhaps our, best interest to watch your tongue."

"I'm not scared of him."

"Then you can inform him that one of the them escaped moments ago."

"W-…That's not my responsibility."

"You said you weren't afraid."

"Just because I don't want to be punished does not mean I'm afraid of the one who's punishing me."

"Fair." He held his hands behind his back, which had extremely long and short fingers. They were either deformities, or just long fingers that were cut in half.

"Was it a dark soul or a human?" the girl then asked.

"A rouge soldier."

"Just call it a dark soul. And so what? One of the monkeys escaped from the zoo, that's not a big deal."

"If a soldier can escape, then means a prisoner can as well."

"Just call it a human," the girl muttered under her breath.

The figure suddenly stopped and held out a mangled, deformed hand, causing the other two to stop as well.

"Speaking of," he muttered. "Hear that?"

"The voices in your head?"

"Footsteps."

She looks around the hall like she needs reassurance from some one or something, as if to clarify how ridiculous he was being. "Footsteps?! How the hell can you hear footsteps? I can't even hear myself fucking think with these things around."

"Someone's trying to escape."

Zelda just managed to see a person, an actual human man, who appeared so beautiful, like he was an angel in hell, turn the corner into their hallway. The normal pink hue of flesh was glowing and his normal, colored eyes were brilliant diamonds.

"Wait," the figure hissed and pulled the girl, who in turn pulled Zelda, into the intersecting hallway before the man could see them.

"What was that for?"

"Shhhh, wait for it."

They did.

The man was a wide eyed fawn, and when he turned the corner, he came face to face with the hunter. The figure lunged outward and delivered his screech as black, disgusting wings suddenly emerged from crevasses in his armor, fully extended, casting a tall dark shadow over the trembling animal beneath it. The man fell backward and yelped, initially from shock, and silenced, but milliseconds later, when the figure continued his screech, the man continued to scream as well, now in full terror; a pure, horror film 'ah'.

The figure then bent over and burst out laughing, no longer the composed psychopath he was before. It almost seemed like a prank amongst friends, in some horrible twisted way.

And then, the figure stopped laughing, and growled, "Where do you think you're going?"

Instead of answering, the man scrambled backwards and began to whimper. The figure repeated himself.

"Huh? HUH? WHERE YA GOING?!"

He reached down and gripped the man's ankle, as if he were an object, and pulled him towards him, dragging him across the floor. The man cried out and planted two hands out onto the floor, trying to pitifully crawl away.

The figure, leg in hand, turned his head into the intersecting hallway towards Zelda and the girl and said, "Good day."

With crooked, pursed lips, she lifted a hand and flicked it casually in farewell.

The figure then lifted himself and the man and flew down the hallway, occasionally pin balling into the stones walls violently as he turned the corner, the man screaming as he did so. They rocketed away so fast, the girl and Zelda stood alone in the hallway in mere seconds.

"That was one of the -mmm- officers here," the girl said towards Zelda, although her eyes were still locked on the end of the hallway where the figure disappeared. "He's a good guy."

* * *

><p>In the back of the prison, in a dimly lit, damp room, Sinal sat in a stolen, iron throne sideways, with his dented legs over the arm rest. The elaborate monster was an odd creature, not quite a man, not as simple as a skeleton. His appearance embodied what he was, all of man's flaws, fears, deformities, and mistakes incarnated into one demon. He wiggled a loose, jagged tooth with his tongue, which was long and sharp, like that of a dragon. As an extremely venomous snake hissed and coiled its body around his limbs, he began to whistle a low, deep melody, like he was singing to it, lovingly. He even went to the extend of placing a bony, sharpened finger on its flesh, stroking it, as if it was a priced pet.<p>

And then, the snake turned at the hand and continued towards the neck, which it bit. It locked its jaw into his flesh and hung there, allowing it to deliver its venom directly into the rotten flesh. Sinal let out a low, disturbing groan, as if he enjoyed it in the most uncomfortable way imaginable.

The girl was standing there in the doorway, on one knee. She ever so slightly glanced up at her superior and watched him, who certainly knew she was there, she knew it and he knew she knew, but she decided to let him address her first, which was a fair bet.

Once he was certain the snake had used every last drop of venom it could muster, Sinal violently tore it off of his own skin, as if he felt no pain, and ate it, crushing the tiny skull loudly between his teeth, as if were hard candy, and slurped up the rest of its body, as if it were a thin strand of pasta.

The girl cringed.

Without looking at her, Sinal asked, "Do my habits disgust you?"

"No, no they do not, sir."

"Is the hero dead?"

"Yes."

He licked his lips, cracked a half smile, and waved an elongated finger. "Do not lie to me."

"My apologies, sir. I spoke wrongly out of anxiety. In reality he is alive, last time I laid eyes on him. But in my opinion-"

"I do not care for opinions."

"My apologies. He practically is dead, and if he somehow manages to survive, he will be dead."

The odd muscles clinging to his skull that allow him expression furrowed. "Then why do you come to me?" his voice suddenly transformed from a deep monotone to a high pitched, loopy mad chime, "Death wish?"

"I have something that will make up for my recent failure."

"And that is?" It was deep once again. The voice was as bipolar as the monster.

"The royal one."

"Ah. I should greet her, no?"

"Do what you must."

She kept her head down and stepped aside as Sinal got up and strolled towards the doorway, but as he passed by her, he threw his body to the side and violently rammed her into the side of the door way. She gritted her teeth and quickly regained her footing, shooting an annoyed glare towards his back, which he took note of. The painful gesture was….playful, somehow, like he was teasing her. But not in the loving, friendly way one usually teases another, no, it was like he was dangling her weakness in front of her, telling her she shouldn't be so nervous, yet he could rip her in half if he wished to do so.

She followed him down the hallway, calling _Here he comes! _in her head to the other prisoners.

* * *

><p>Zelda was placed in a prison cell amongst the other humans who were in the early stages of their transformation. There was a whole hall just for them, they were separated and numbered like cattle. They weren't dark souls, they weren't unfinished mistakes either, they weren't even insane yet, just people behind bars. It was more difficult to ignore them now that she was among them.<p>

"Hey, you," a voice said.

She turned her head to see a mid-aged woman sitting cross-legged and upright, bound to the floor by mechanical belts and chains. Around her neck was a collar, on the front of the collar, wedged between the top tip of her sternum and the soft spot below her chin, was a wrench. It was a thin, sharp wrench that was prying her head upwards unnaturally.

"What's your name?" the woman asked, uncomfortably stretching her eyes to look at her.

"Z-Jessica."

"Mine's Susan."

"Hello Susan."

"Hello Jessica."

"W-what's around your neck?"

"An ancient torture device. If I drop my head, the spokes will pierce me and kill me. In other words, it forces me to stay awake."

It was then Zelda noticed the dark bags under the woman's red, swollen eyes. "Oh."

"And I can't even move around," the woman said as she squirmed slightly, causing her chains to jingle. "The only thing that releases these chains is pressure on the wrench. I've managed to figure that out….I've had some time on my hands. It'd be nice to…..pace a bit."

"How long has it bee-"

"13 days."

Zelda frowned and nodded slightly, not knowing exactly how to respond to that.

"It's…." the woman said with a staggered breath. "Starting to get to me a bit. That's how they'll get me, ya know, sleep deprivation, hallucinations."

Zelda fell silent for a while.

"Please talk to me," the woman suddenly croaked. "So many around me have come and gone…and slept. Please speak to me."

"Oh, okay. Where are you from?"

"Belcrest. A village towards the west. What about you?"

"Castle town."

"Wow. The big one, huh? You must have been traveling when you were captured."

"Um, yes I was. I was separated from my companions."

"Who were they?"

"Two young men named Link and Arthur."

"They were your friends."

"Yes, you could say that….I…haven't really thought about them until now, I tried not to."

"They managed to escape?"

"One did. I'm….not sure about the other. I hope he survived, I believe he did. It would be….catastrophic if he didn't."

"Ah, you sound like someone in love."

"W-…I suppose." She didn't mean it like that, but it seemed easier to go along with the woman's assumption.

"Well, don't you want to tell me about him?"

"Oh, um, well, he, uh has blue eyes…"

"Like you."

"Yes, he looks like me."

The woman furrowed her brow.

"It-nevermind," Zelda dismissed the comment with a flick of her hand.

"Okay so blue eyes. There's nothing else? I could use a good love story."

Zelda took a breath. Maybe it wasn't easier. "He's…brave."

"That's always good, especially in these times."

"You have no idea…W-what about you? Were you traveling alone?"

"With my family."

"Oh. And…"

"And I don't know what happened to them. It…" the woman dropped her eyes and smiled sadly. "Keeps me up at night."

Zelda frowned and nodded, not fully absorbing the situation. Relatively, she was strong.

She opened her mouth to say something, perhaps something soothing, but they both silenced when they heard footsteps. Loud, echoing ones that put the voices of those around them to shame.

"Uh oh," the woman breathed. "Pray it's just a guard."

Zelda was already doing so.

But then, footsteps weren't the only sound. Soon a low, deep, and echoed whistle accompanied them.

The woman suddenly whimpered and closed her eyes in helplessness in realization. "Oh no."

Zelda recognized the song immediately, the famous song of her family, the song that used to lull her to sleep. Her stomach jumped into her throat as she bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.


	38. Chapter 38: The Dance

**_Chapter 38: The Dance_**

Usually when one is brought before an intimating foe, they feel small, negligible, weak. But Zelda did not feel this way, the quiet opposite in fact. She felt large and tall, so gigantic and fat that it was impossible not tp notice her, she felt like she was under a spot light, like her presence was loud and upfront, like she was taking up almost all the space in her cell. There was no way to curl herself up and melt into the shadows.

She could see a long shadow begin to creep it's way onto the floor space in front of her cell, stretching itself further and longer as the footsteps became louder. The tone that echoed through the halls became clearer and fuller, as if the singer was right beside her. The lovely score that used to charm many with its scale and bounce couldn't have sounded more horrific and despicable in that prison, even with disregard to the one singing it.

The other prisoners fell silent, no murmurs or cries, as Susan and Zelda did. Some cowered in the corner of their cells, piling onto of each other if there was more than one inside. If she took a moment to notice such a small thing, she would have seen two people holding hands through the bars of their neighboring cells. She didn't see this, however, for the signing and the shadow were screaming so loud.

Finally, the whistling seised and he appeared, cloaked and tall, taller than Zelda had previously thought, juxtaposed to the farthest bar to the right of her cell. He stopped just short of standing directly in front of the cell, as if to make a point of being able to know who was in there without taking another step or turning his direction in anyway. After a moment, however, he did turn his head slightly, the glow of the lanterns on the far wall side barely illuminating the outline of his skull. He stared at Zelda with gaping black holes, that somehow, despite their large inhuman size, came across as small and callous.

He stared at her for a moment, allowing her to absorb exactly who and what she was looking at. It was difficult to move past his skull like face that had just enough flesh to make him appear like a half-rotten corpse. His nose was nonexistent; just two large, long dew-drop shaped holes shadowed by a slight bone ridge. His mouth was perhaps the worse, she could see the outline of every tooth extended up his gums and his jaw, long and defined, like a skeleton's. He held jagged shaped teeth inside, at least two of them completely broken in half. She had a few more seconds to take her enemy in before he acknowledge her in any way, so she quickly scanned him with her eyes so fast a human would not have noticed. His neck was fleshy and wrinkled, with deep, deep depressions around the muscles. His shoulders and chest were made up of single, lined up, long and sharp plates that snaked and curved up the side of his sternum and jutted out into sharp spokes, creating a series of sharp spikes where his outer shoulders would be. His arms were hidden inside his cloak, but she assumed they were just as armored and darkly hinted. She could just see the far side of his ribs beyond his cloak, defined and ridged.

He turned his head towards the opposite wall, the only sign of movement in the past thirty seconds. "You must have been mistaken."

The girl, who was leaning against the wall behind him and who Zelda didn't notice until now, looked up and slightly leaned forward. _Impossible._

"You said you retrieved the princess, but I am not looking at a princess. This is nothing but a street whore."

Zelda managed to narrow her eyes, however, that was the only reaction she could muster, part in shock, part in fear of how he would then react in return if she did anything more strident.

When the girl sensed his mockery, she sighed and leaned back again, lifting up her nails to observe. The middle one was chipped. "I agree, sir, she has been reduced to a rather pitiful state, but I assure you that's her."

It was silent again, the only sound was Zelda's own breath and the slight, occasional jingle of Susan's chains in the neighboring cell.

"Open her cage." Sinal mumbled this so quietly, he couldn't have expected anyone to actually hear him.

The girl lowered her hand and looked up, innocently wondering if he had said something.

"OPEN IT!" he suddenly bellowed so deep and loud it echoed twice down the halls. Everyone, except him, flinched.

The girl, irked by him setting her up for failure, purposely raised her eyebrows and pointed a finger to her chest, as if to double check it was her he was addressing. She was, however, already lifting herself up and walking towards the cell when she did this; she was rebellious not stupid.

Luckily, Sinal was still far to the side and not in her way, otherwise, she would have had to awkwardly avoid him by at least a couple feet.

She stared at Zelda for a moment as she worked the lock, blankly, like she was deciding whether to give her a genuine look of 'good luck' or a mocking 'this sucks for you'. In the end she ended up doing nothing, and just opened the cell door like she was supposed to.

Zelda didn't move at first. She wasn't sure whether she should or not, whether Sinal would expect her to without further instruction.

"Get up please," he then said rather sweetly. "I have something to show you."

She did just that, staying as far away from the walking beast as possible. She felt like if she would touch him, his skin would burn her, or his shoulders would prick her own skin.

The girl seemed to stay in place, having one foot directed towards the opposite direction, as if she was about to go about the rest of her day.

"Going somewhere?" Sinal asked, eyes still ahead.

The girl then turned towards them and mumbled, "Oh, I guess I'm part of this now."

"Lead us," Sinal said to her.

The girl nodded, immediately knowing exactly which room he had in mind.

Soon, the two of them knew exactly why Sinal had asked the girl to lead over himself. Zelda was now trapped between the two of them, and Sinal was behind her. He did this intentionally. It was worse having him behind her. She couldn't see him, she couldn't keep an eye on him, but she could feel his stare. She could hear his steps, his breath. He was a fox who, instead eating his mouse, decided to force it to come back with him to his den before he ripped it apart.

She felt like she was being pushed forward; she had to watch her steps so carefully and precisely, otherwise she'd fall behind, and bump into him, she'd have to touch him. He seemed keen on crowding her space, only a foot kept them apart, and part of her felt like he was looming over her so drastically that if she would lift her head and look up to the ceiling, she would see his face, smiling down at her.

And it wasn't just this raw sense of violence in the air that kept her eyes wide. She felt like he was looking at her, in every way imaginable. He was a murderer, a pedophile, a rapist, a cannibal, and yet, a nonlibidoist all at once. However, in truth, the monster was such a complex enigma, it was mainly her own perceptive that drew up these labels. In fact it was the same feeling of overwhelming vulnerability that exaggerated how she imagined herself walking; she could almost feel her hips swaying dramatically from side to side, like she couldn't control her own appealing feminine form. It was the same feeling that made her experience a distinct breeze against her skin so real and familiar it was as if she wasn't wearing any coverage at all. Having him behind her was definitely worse.

"Isn't this music memorizing?" he suddenly said.

There was no music playing.

The girl nodded. "It's beautiful."

They continued through the prisoner for a few moments, turning corners and passing hallways. At one point, Zelda glanced to the side towards an intersecting hallway and saw a couple dancing, waltzing up and down the stretched out alleyway-like space. There was no music, she was sure of it, but they were certainty dancing. Just swaying back and forth while the other sounds of the prison rumbled on. The woman was dressed in a white, elegant gown that was blinding against the dull, dark colors of the prison walls. Her face was relaxed and focused, like that of a professional. The man was dressed in royal attire as well, a crisp, red and black garment with golden buttons. He glided the woman across the dusty stone floor as if they were moving across a sublime marble one.

And then she passed the hallway, and they were gone.

* * *

><p>The walk in reality only took a few minutes, but to Zelda, it seemed to last hours. She was almost thankful when they reached their destination, no matter how aware she was of the impending doom it meant for her. It was almost better….to get it over with. She didn't care for all this waiting, all this build up. She didn't like waiting in her cell. She hated all of the foreshadowing images and seeing examples of the poor people who were forced on the path she was about to embark upon. She would rather just be killed, just be turned insane, rather then wait for it and experience others who have already been through it, like waiting in line for a coaster and seeing stomach-ill passengers exit just a few feet away.<p>

In a few moments they entered the room, the door shut loudly behind them by an unknown force, the only light left illuminating the room being a small walled lantern. To the side of the room there was a leashed woman bound to the wall. She was mumbling to herself so quietly it was inaudible to anyone but herself. Her eyes were wide and focused ahead, as if on everything and nothing.

"Isn't that nice?" Sinal asked as he strolled to the center of the room, Zelda staying close to the door. "Her being here waiting for us?"

The girl chose a spot close to the walls and leaned back, there to his command if he needed her yet independent. The bored expression on her face bothered Zelda, although that vamp was the last of her worries.

"Allow me to introduce my…work with a demonstration. That would be the optimum way for you to prepare yourself for what's ahead, no?"

She didn't respond to that. She didn't think he would want that, so she let him finish his little egotistical speech. He took something out from his cloak, a needle with a long thread attached to it. He observed it's sharpened point with profoundness.

"As you know, I have the ability to turn any individual insane, it's been useful so far, I suppose. But's it's not that simple trick that has made me so successful no, it's my ability to take it a step further, to take an insane person and turn them into one of my own, one of my soldiers, one of my….well, what you call, dark souls. I turn them insane by diseasing their brain with darkness, I turn them into a dark soul by letting that darkness consume them. Do you see this young lady here? This is….well, I suppose it doesn't really matter. I want to say Claire. We'll call her Claire. She's insane….if I must put a label on it to help you understand, I'd say she has acute stress disorder, but that still doesn't do it much justice."

The woman didn't even seem to notice Sinal as he untied her from the wall, or the girl, or anyone else in the room, she seemed to currently be in the same state as she was before the door was opened, when she was alone. In that moment, Sinal was gliding across the room so elegantly, and his voice was so soothing and calming and didactic, he carried the disposition of a college professor rather than that of a monster.

"Claire keeps herself…together by talking to herself. She enjoys the sound of her own voice, she repeats things to herself, like riddles, phrases, numbers. Isn't that right, Claire?"

Sinal patted the top of her head. She didn't react. Instead she just spoke to herself.

"But…" he said calmly as he circled around Claire, only a few inches away from her. "….if I were to do something like this-" the monster suddenly burst into action, no longer the calm and collected professor, and grabbed Claire's face violently between his hands. His back was blocking Claire, but he was doing something to her, something with the needle. She began to scream and thrash in his grip. He was hurting her. Whatever he was doing, her thrashing didn't seem to hamper it. He was too strong.

When he pulled away from her, Zelda's mouth dropped open in awe….for Claire's was sewn completely and flawlessly shut, like a patch up job on a coat. Zelda bit down on the inside of her own lip. _Don't scream. _

"She wouldn't be able to speak to herself," Sinal said, with a false, patronizing sense of confusion.

Claire then, to deal with the pain, tried to speak to herself. When it came out as a pitiful mumble, her eyes widened to plates and she began to shake. She placed her flattened palms over her ears in horror and screamed.

"Mmmphmmphhh! _MMMMPPPPHHH!_"

She fell to the ground and began to writhe in discomfort, her back twisting and jerking like she was possessed.

Zelda tried to separate herself from what was happening, like she wasn't there, like this wasn't actual happening, like this girl in front of her wasn't going through this. It was a strange, forced form of meditation.

"She's loosing it!" the girl chirped from the wall of the room.

"She's already lost it," Sinal cooed. "Now it's time for it to disappear completely."

Claire was in pain. Tears were seeping from her eyes. Soon, desperate and crazy, she lifted her fingers to her mouth and felt the strings that kept her mouth shut, they trembled as they felt each hump of yarn. Her eyes widened even further in realization.

"This may take a while," Sinal began causally. "And the music is so lovely. It'd be a shame to waste it."

Zelda realized after a few minutes the hand in front of her. The disgusting, boney, darkly hinted hand of a monster. He was holding it out to her. She didn't know why he was doing this. It seemed so odd.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked, her voice strained and low. It was a miracle he heard it.

"I'm asking you to a dance. It'd be rather rude of you to refuse it."

_What?_

"It would extremely be rude," the vamp commented. Although her voice sounded nonchalant, her expression had a puzzled tone to it; her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes were narrowed. She watched the two of them like they each had two heads, who, at this points, might as well have. They were an exhibit to her.

For a moment, the attention was digressed away from Claire, who continued to wallow in her mental misery. Claire was throwing herself around the room, slamming her body against the walls like she was independent from it. She began to tear at her hair, her clothes, anything she could release this disturbing energy onto. Eventually, she couldn't control it anymore. It consumed her, it engulfed her and drowned her in insanity. In the corner of Zelda's eyes, she could see this taking place, but she couldn't focus on two insane things at a time. At that moment, the most pressing thing was her enemy asking for her hand.

She stared at Sinal with horrified, awed eyes. She couldn't believe he was asking her to…dance with him. He was insane. He was absolutely insane.

But she couldn't refuse, could she? He stared at her, waiting, so coldly and focused it was as if he was staring through her. So she resigned to sticking out her trembling, pink colored hand and placing it onto his disgusting, coarse skin. She cringed when she did this, when she felt her fingers lay across his. She did not want to touch him.

And then, he swung her around and, somehow surprisingly, just…danced with her, as if they were two normal people enjoying music at a ball. At first, terrified to her bones, Zelda stared at his chest, where her eye line naturally fell, with a wide, unfocused gaze, trying to blur her own senses. She tried to ignore the feeling of his hand on her shoulder and the blood that oozed out from in-between his fingers as he intertwined them with hers.

But soon, it became so much more than an extremely uncomfortable dance. Zelda wasn't just waltzing with a monster. She felt like she was drowning, she couldn't breath. She was suddenly in a bathtub full of thick, sticky blood, forced to put her head under the water, and could taste the bitter, salty liquid seep in between her lips and then in a millisecond, she was dry, and in the arms of a monster once again. She was being choked at the dinner table by a man with leather gloves and then smothered by her own laced pillow in her room. She felt it. It was real. She fell into a fire pit and burned when he dipped her. When he uncoiled her body away from his, she woke up from a nightmare with a gasp and for that moment she could see the familiar brown walls of the room, she was aware and she was present, but when he pulled her back to him, she fell right back into her daze.

As the two moved across the room, Claire was squirming violently beyond Zelda's shoulder, painfully wrenching on the floor. She was transforming, but Zelda, locked in a horrific trance, did not even notice. From a third observer, the room, with disregard to what Zelda was experiencing, was eerily calm and yet chaotic all at once. Sinal and Zelda's movements were graceful and placid while Claire twitched and writhed on the floor only a few feet away. The sounds of Claire's pain and the pain of her own stimulation were too much for Zelda, she was overwhelmed to the point where it almost became blurred, like she was just floating in disbelief.

And then, the dance was over, and although Sinal elegantly strolled across the room with her, she didn't remember taking a single step. She stood there, trembling, for she had just experienced the worst nightmare of her life. She closed her eyes and breathed. _Focus. Focus. He's just trying to freak you out. Calm down. That was fake. Nothing happened._

"Well," Sinal said then. "That seemed to kill some time. Looks like Claire's almost ready."

Zelda managed to regain her consciousness and directed her attention towards Claire, who's state was almost more disturbing than the dance. Her painful transformation was already beginning, soon she wouldn't be human anymore.

Her limbs were morphing into deformed, extended versions of themselves. Her shoulders rose into an unnatural and unhealthy hunch, followed by horns that steadily grew out from her shoulder blades. Her skin transformed into an inky, poisoned and toxic coat. Her eyes blackened, the skin on her face began to wither away until most of her inner skull was clearly defined. The skin that was left throughout her body clung to her bones, turning her into a famished, desiccated creature. A tail morphed its way out from her behind as she fell to her knees, never to rise again. And with a final scream of misery, the strings of her mouth broke apart and a new mouth took shape, the long, boney jaws of a dark soul.

She let out a full scream on all fours, her muscles tightening like a roaring lion. She managed to lift herself up on her back haunches and lunched towards the closest thing to her, ready to inflict her pain on another. Zelda flinched backwards and gasped, at this point she was too stunned to scream, but the dark soul fell short and backwards, for Sinal had stepped on its tail, restraining her. She continued to thrust herself forward and throw out her claws. She wasn't Claire anymore. Now she was one of them, an enemy.

"ENOUGH!" he barked.

She immediately fell back in silence, like a dog told to heel. Zelda had never seen a dark soul calm itself like that. It was then silent, the dark soul was twitching by Sinal's side, Sinal seemed to stand there glancing down at it, like he was proud of his prized beast. The girl's eyes were cast downwards, she was wiggling her big toe.

And then, not provoked any further, at the first moment of silence, relatively for no reason, Zelda, hands brought together in a clench, lost it and let out a long, drawn out and genuine scream.


	39. Chapter 39: The Wrench

As Zelda screamed, Sinal, now carrying the disposition of a young, fiery warrior, threw a fist quickly in the air and hollered, "THERE IT IS!" He followed it with another whoop of triumph and finally, an overjoyed cackle. His voice rose and fell dramatically; his laugh so hysterical no human could ever replicate it.

When her breath left her, Zelda just let out sounds of defeat, gasps and grunts, her body hunched over, while Sinal continued to laugh over her. He didn't even touch her, yet she was defeated.

He eventually sighed and wiped the skin under his eyes, as if there was a tear there, and began to stroll around her. He was calm again.

"I'll have to do something special for you….I'm not entirely certain how I will approach this. I know your blood is royal, that is really all you have. You aren't as brave as those fighting on the field, not as powerful as your enemy, all you have is your lineage. So…blood….I may end up doing something with blood…perhaps. I will think of something…fantastic for you my dear, don't you worry."

Zelda swallowed. She had more than her blood. She knew she did. She didn't need the back of her hand to glow to tell her that, which it hadn't up to that point. But even though she always knew she would be more than just a princess, at that moment, she believed in Sinal so fully, she might as well been just that and nothing else.

Sinal turned to the girl. "Escort her back to her cell for now."

Before she met the monster, Zelda wouldn't have believed this was possible, but she found herself feeling comfortable to be alone with the girl. She was actually excited to enter the hallway again, to get away from the dark soul and Sinal, and to curl up in the corner of her cell. She was excited to speak to Susan once more, perhaps tell her who she was, just to let someone know she was there.

She needed a break.

"Come back to me once she's there," Sinal said towards the girl, who stopped in the door way and looked over her shoulder. "You need some improvements."

The girl furrowed her brow and nodded, before disappearing into the hallway, shutting Sinal and the dark soul in the dark.

As the two of them walked down the hallway, Zelda whimpered to herself, refusing to walk in silence. It was the only thing she could do.

"Stop crying," the girl demanded and lightly shoved her in the back.

Zelda, for some reason, didn't keep crying because she personally needed to. She kept crying in response to the girl telling her to stop.

"Stop it!"

She screamed.

The girl, now furious, violently gripped Zelda's wrists together and tugged her to the ground. She began to drag her along the hallway floor, Zelda squirming and wailing like a child. "Stop it!" the girl grunted as she wrestled her prisoner to her cell, eventually tossing her body inside like it was that of a dog.

Zelda regained her footing quickly and let out a furious scream, her fair face now red.

"STOP SCREAMING!" the girl cried and slammed the cell door shut as forcefully as she could. She continued to strike the bars of the cell when Zelda refused to silence. "STOP! STOP SCREAMING!"

Zelda used all the energy she had left to continue to screech loud and high towards the girl through the bars of her cell. She would not stop.

"SHUT UP!" the girl screeched so long and high pitched it would turn the old deaf.

Suddenly, during the incredibly loud stand off, Zelda's malnourished and exhausted body abandoned her and her voice got caught in the back of her throat in a pathetic choke. Her vision become corrupted with spots and her head felt like a warm, thick fog. She lost her footing that before was so defiant and fell on her rear, slipping on pure air.

While she sat there, red in the face, clothing torn, sweat dripping down her forehead, the girl, perfectly composed and groomed, as if she didn't let out a single whimper, smirked. "Face it. No matter how loud you scream or how far into the distance you stare, you're too sane to drown out what's happening."

And with that, she left.

Zelda laid there panting for a moment, repeating the girl's words in her mind over and over. _Face it. _She let out a whimper, her face broken into distraught wrinkles.

"Shhhhh," Susan voice, sweet and ethereal, cooed. "Don't cry sweetie."

Zelda dropped her head and watched her tears drip onto the floor space between her and her feet. "I have to get out of here."

"I know. We all do. But sadly, honey, we can't always control what happens to us. All we can do is hope and pray that things will work out for the better and that these things happen for a reason. That's all we can do."

"You don't understand. I have to get out of here. You don't understand who I am."

"You're not a sage."

Zelda looked up at Susan's heart broken face, knowing exactly why that was her reaction. If she was a sage, that meant Sinal has got another one, has made progress, was winning.

"Don't tell me you're a sage. Please don't tell me that."

Zelda took a moment, before weakly nodding. "I am. I am a sage."

"….I'm sorry."

"So I am….But not for myself."

"I understand."

Zelda leaned her head back on the cell way and cracked a miserable half smile. "The worse part is, I'm not just the sage. I'm-…" she stared at the ceiling above her, her smile disappearing, "more than that."

Susan stared ahead, physically not being able to do much else, in deep, desperate thought. They both sat there for a moment, not in silence however, for the subtle sounds of the prison that were smothered before became obvious.

"You're going to get out of here," Susan said, an uncomfortable sense of confidence and assurance in her voice. "You're going to escape."

"I can't. I'm not strong enough to break out of this cell, to run through the halls, to fight my way out. I don't have a weapon-"

"You have a weapon."

"W-…I mean an actual weapon, that I can hold in my hand."

"You have a weapon, that you can hold in your hand, because I'm about to give it to you and you will use it to get out."

Zelda stared at her, not really understanding, until her eyes fell upon the wrench-like fork prying up her skull. It seemed sharper and longer than it did before. She immediately shook her head. "I-"

"Listen to me. My fate is already determined. A terrible fate. Well, two fates, both equally terrible. I will either die in this cell or live as one of them. Honestly, I would rather die. If you think about it, I've been given a gift the other prisoners were denied, the ability to end my life before they do it for me.

But I never did it, not because I was afraid to, but because I felt like if I did, if I jumped the gun, perhaps I would have missed out on something. There was this hope that kept me awake, hope that I would be rescued or I would find my family or the hope that this place would be discovered or the hope that somehow there was a better option that I would miss. I wanted to wait it out and just…see.

But now I know that the hope wasn't for me. Now I realize you were the reason I stayed awake. You are that better option I've been waiting for. If I had killed myself before I met you, you wouldn't of had this chance for an escape. But you have to promise me you'll take it. You have to take this chance I'm giving you. Please promise me that."

"I- I promise."

"Good, good. I'm going to drop my head and swing my body towards you. These chains will release, and you may have a chance to take this thing off my neck."

"You don't have to-"_she does._ "I'll find another way-"_I won't._

"No, I want this. I would be honored to be the one to help you escape…And….I'm so tired, Jessica. I'm so tired. I just want to close my eyes and sleep," she smiled, her eyes watering sweetly, "I'll finally be able to sleep."

When Susan slightly lifted up her head, ready to drop, Zelda cried out, "WAIT!"

It was too late. Susan's head had already dropped, the wrench had already pierced her neck in two places, blood was already streaming down her shoulders, and the chains had already snapped free of their tight, elastic-like restraint, sending her body free to fall to the ground towards Zelda with a thud.

The prison seemed silent again.

She immediately clamped a hand over her mouth and let out a muffled cry into her palm. Susan was a horrific sight. The wrench was wedged into her flesh and the chains, which still clung tight around her wrists and shoulders, laid next to her lifeless body.

But, perhaps even more gut wrenching, was Zelda's lack of a decent response. Sure, despite the fact that she could reach the wrench, she didn't simply because she wasn't ready to pry it out from under Susan's chin, probably further tearing apart her flesh in the process. She wasn't _not_ disturbed by the corpse that laid only a few feet from her.

But only a fear tears that lived a short life down her cheeks were spared.

The metallic shine that flickered from the wrench was calling out to her. She told it to wait a second.

It told her if she didn't reach out and rip it out of Susan's neck soon, it would get up and walk away on its own, just out of her reach.

She told it it wasn't going anyway and that the more logical outcome would be a guard coming and disposing of the body, and therefore the wrench, making Susan's death futile.

A good 5 seconds later, she began to hear footsteps pound down the hall towards her cell. She flinched, feeling her empty stomach quiver with anxiety. If she was going to act, she had to act now.

* * *

><p>After hours of traveling in relative silence, Link began to account for the details that surrounded him. He was rather bored.<p>

He started greedily with the vast view he was provided, first absorbing the beauty of the setting sun and the way the edges of the mountains were so sharp and distinct in front of their orange background. It was a nice distraction.

After time passed, he began to have slim picking. He began to account for little things, analyzing their texture and color. His horse's, the designs on his leather glove, which he knew by heart, the cracks in the stone cliff next to him.

He eventually ended up staring at a his horse's name carved into the tiny golden plaque on her reins.

He loved that plaque. He always had a certain interest and adoration for names, whether it'd be the ones he would choose for a lower life form or the way it looked when his was written on something that he owned.

Arthur coughed. Link wondered if he would even bother to label his horse's bridal. There was no label. Link wondered if it was even Arthur's own horse or if it was just one he borrowed or carelessly purchased nearby.

"What's your horse's name?" he asked.

Arthur lifted his head and stared at him for a second, making sure it he was he Link was asking. "Company."

"Company?" Link glanced at Arthur's horse, a pure white steed with pitch black hair which was tied back in individual tiny buns up it's neck, each tied with a thin red ribbon. The creature showed a characteristic of strength that was sincere yet flashy, just like its rider.

"Yeah. He's Company. He's my company."

"That's…."

"Sad," Saria interrupted from behind, half to herself.

Arthur didn't hesitate for a second. "I'm not ashamed of that. I travel alone; me, myself, and Company. And if you think it's such a sad name, why don't we hear your mutt's name?"

"She doesn't have a name."

"At least I have the decency to name mine."

"I didn't have a chance to name her. Maybe it will come to me."

It was uncomfortably silent again, apparently that was the only conversation they could muster between the three of them. Link almost wished he hadn't starting speaking at all; somehow an extremely brief conversation was worse then just traveling with a mutual understanding that they didn't and wouldn't need to converse. Now that silence and understanding was broken, and it was awkward.

Arthur, being the most uncomfortable, decided to save them, although he couldn't have been more of a failure. "So who do you think the water sage is? That Zora kid?"

Sarai twitched her eyebrows at him. "We really shouldn't discuss it."

"Oh please, if we could figure out who it is just by talking about it then Sinal would have done so by now! Nobody knows who it is and no one's gonna know."

"Then there's no use in talking about it, is there?" Link added coldly.

"Fine whatever. You two are too serious, there's nothing wrong with shining a casual light on a situation."

"It just makes me nervous, that's all," Saria said rather softly, glancing at Link, who at this point has become her loyal champion, and expecting support.

"I would rather not think about it all, let alone discuss it," he said.

"That's not healthy," Arthur persisted. "You shouldn't avoid talking about or thinking about things just because it makes you upset. You'll just become touchier about it."

"Something tells me you don't follow your own advice."

"So? Doesn't make it bad advice."

Link didn't respond as they approached a sharp corner on the mountain trail. After a moment of thought, however, he opened his mouth, as if to say something, perhaps he was following Arthur's advice, but he was interrupted by the sound of hooves.

A horse was galloping furiously near by, towards them it seemed, however the trail was too narrow for them to move aside. Link and Arthur shared a frantic look, neither of them knowing how to get out of the way in time.

And sure enough, they couldn't. A horse and it's rider turned the corner sharply, having to screech to a messy halt in front of the three travelers. All horses panicked, reared, whinnied, and stomped at the confrontation.

The rider yelped, not in anger, but in fear and panic. When the dust settled and the horses stilled, the rider, a man in his late twenties, stared at them with wild eyes. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but seemed to be at lost for words.

Link, somehow understanding, pulled Epona to the side, his companions following, and watched the rider dart by them, barreling down the dangerous mountain trail.

Link, Saria, and Arthur all glanced at each other, and each of them fully understood that there was danger somewhere ahead and that man was on the run. They were already galloping in the direction where the man was running from before they heard the sounds of conflict.

* * *

><p>The pounding of the footsteps, along with that of her heart, counted down loudly in her ear as she almost painfully shoved her arm, which was luckily just thin and feminine enough, through the bars. She let out whimpers as she pawed for the wrench, which of course, was a few centimeters too far for her to comfortably grip. She would feel her fingertips graze its smooth surface and slip, tempting her, telling her she was so close. It mocked her.<p>

She now knew what her deceased companion was talking about so dreamily, this dire feeling of hope and chance. The gods, like Susan, were giving her a chance, a shimmer of hope, and she had to take it. Not only did she have to for herself and for her people, but she promised Susan she would. She wouldn't have done it otherwise.

She allowed this pressing feeling to brew in her gut, knowing it was the only way she would grab the wrench in time, knowing it was the only thing that would allow her to push on. Finally, she was able to grab the wrench. She could feel Susan's flesh cling to it, producing a disturbing suction sound every time she moved it. But that was nothing compared to the final pull, when she fully ripped the wrench off the collar and away from Susan, leaving behind a mauled version of her neck and chin. For the first time, she could smell it.

Ignoring the slippery blood that began to stain her fingers, Zelda pressed it against her back, hiding it as a prized gem just as a guard, one similar to the despicable figure she had experienced when she first entered the prison, turned the corner and began to slug down the hallway. She threw herself agains the wall, getting as far away from the guard as possible and held her breath, her hands trembling as they gripped the wrench so hard her knuckles turned white.

A dark soul, on all fours, followed the guard like it was his dog. Both their shadows casted over her as they passed. To her, they couldn't have been moving more slowly.

The guard glanced at her, but showed no interest in her obvious fear which she was trying so desperately to hide. When he glanced at Susan, he again showed no expression. He didn't take any action either, not taking the time to remove her or examine her. He continued on his path. Zelda, for a brief moment, wondered if she was even rushed to retrieve the wrench in the first place if the guard would've just dismissed the sight of Susan without a second thought. But when the subtle metallic shine from behind her back caught her eye, she knew it would've caught the guard's as well.

The dark soul seemed to be interested in Susan regardless, stopping and staring at her body through the bars. It seemed lost in a focused trance, that is until the guard snapped his fingers, causing the thing to flinch and obediently abandon whatever sick thought was running through its head.

And when they left, she had her cell to herself, the hallway to herself, her plan to herself. It was her decision now, she would make the next move. She had to act then and there, she couldn't stall or soak in shock any longer. Sinal was conjuring some disgusting plan to turn her insane as she sat there.

So she stood up, wrench in hand, and observed the lock that held her cage shut. It was barbaric but worth a shot just to simply bring the wrench down upon the rusted lock with the little strength she had left in hopes it would break apart right there and then. And sure enough, with a few attempts of throwing it down and digging the prongs in-between the metal compartments to twist them apart, the lock began to shift, and eventually broke loudly in half, the two rusty parts crumbling to the floor.

She inhaled and pushed the door open, realizing it was no longer important to be brave, she felt like she had conquered that to an extent. It was time to be smart. Whether she would be able to escape this prison or not now depended on her ability to figure how she would do so and the decisions she would make. It wouldn't be easy, of course.

Her first decision was to bolt down the hallway on her now calloused bare feet, which in the end, she did not loose and they mattered more then ever. She flew down the halls so quickly and elegantly it was like she was her own spirit, hurling itself through the air.

Her fantastic rush for freedom was interrupted, however, when she rounded the corner into an all too familiar hallway full of mental prisoners, another distinct corner in her view. She skidded to a halt and stared at that far corner, and even though there was positively no sign of movement what so ever, she couldn't help but think she saw a dark piece of fabric disappear behind the wall. She, the young fawn, approached it slowly, wrench in grip. Her heart pounded in her ears, and although the prisoners cried from their cages, it was all she could hear.

She built her tension, waiting for the corner to explode with life and make her flinch, make her fall. So she approached it slowly, staring at it with a keen sense of suspicion. He was there, she knew he was.

And alas, when she consumed the last feet of space between her and the corner, the hunter jumped out, wings extended and teeth bared, ready to frighten his prey with a cruel joke. But she, high strung and focused, was ready for the monster. The second the dark blur appeared, she cocked back her trusty weapon and threw it forward in a stab, interrupting his frightening screech, and pierced the figure right in his black-irised eyeball.

He fell to the ground in a painful cry, wrench still stuck in the spongy white flesh, writhing in anger and shock. "You BITCH!"

Zelda didn't hesitate for a second. She bent down and ripped the wrench out of the eye, a piece of flesh that carried the appearance of a smushed rotten tomato left behind in his socket, and threw down the wrench towards the figure's face again. With a few passionate blows, his face soon resembled a slab of grounded meat more than that of a man, although he wasn't much of a man in the first place.

She took a breath of satisfaction, not even recognizing the fact that she had just taken a life for the first time in hers. However, it was such a terrible life to live, perhaps it didn't count.

Her victory didn't last long. After hearing their approaching calls and hollers, she looked behind her shoulder to see a pack of exhilarated dark souls rounding the far corner in a full on stampede, ready to rip the escaping prisoner apart.

She took a step back and inhaled, overwhelmed by their numbers, which in reality, were rather small.

But it was then she noticed, in the corner of her eye, a luminous glow upon the back of her hand. She didn't bother lifting her hand and ogling it, she knew exactly what it was and what it meant.

Apparently, so did the dark souls, who stopped dead in their tracks and turned on a dime in retreat. Zelda smiled at the sight of them running from her, feeling powerful for once.

That smile died when she heard one of them cry out, as if complaining to its mother, "Sinal! Sinal!"

She felt her confidence shatter. She bounced on her feet, ready to explode into a sprint once again. She had to move and do it quickly, and that's exactly what she did as she darted down the halls, leaving the figure's bloody corpse behind.

Being afraid and being rushed is a terrible combination, yet it managed to pump adrenaline through Zelda's veins and push her forward. She probably wouldn't have made it otherwise. She only stopped when she reached the doors, a familiar mechanical lock in her sight.

What were those numbers? What were those god damn numbers?

It came to her the moment she heard those terrible footsteps. 464646. She entered it into the lock with steady fingers. It didn't budge. Her eyes widened with panic. Those were the numbers, she was sure of it.

She had mere seconds to think it over, but somehow, she managed to recognize the fact that the lock was on the opposite side of the door than before, along with the barred window and walled lantern, and that she was walking in the opposite direction than before, and looking at and locking the door from the opposite side.

646464.

That was it. She cried out in triumph as the lock clicked open, already feeling like she was free.

That is, until, she heard that damn whistle again that echoed through the halls. The air seemed still at that moment, when she heard that whistle, her own little song. Her journey thus far has been little moments of victory crushed by the persisting presence of her enemies. However, she was not fazed. That whistle in no means discouraged her, it did not end her rebellion. She was encouraged. She would not look upon that skeleton face again. She couldn't.

So she slipped through the door and enjoyed the heavy sound it made as it closed, separating her from her approaching monster. It was then she noticed the sun beaming through the opening crack in the earth, triggered by her unlocking the door, and blinding her by the light. She smiled, not thinking she would miss the bitter cold that immediately grew bumps across her arms.

Up the steps she went, emerging from the ground in nothing but a thin gown, armed with nothing but a bloody, slightly bent wrench. The world around her was white and glorious, the snow was so bright and beautiful it made her eyes water. It was lovely and silent, the only sound being the light howl of the wind.

But there was one glaring blemish, the dark soul that was perched peacefully on the pedestal. It was hidden inside its own wings, head down.

Zelda walked around it slowly, eyeing it suspiciously like the trap it was, alert and hyper active, ready for anything. It didn't move, it didn't seem to see her or hear her, or chose not to. She kept watching it, thinking it would violently burst into life like it did before, as she stepped backwards away from the prison, which had already began to seal itself back up. She occasionally had to look down; her feet could barely balance themselves in the deep snow. But she didn't look away from the dark soul for more than 3 seconds.

Soon, she was far away enough from it to turn and trudge forward through the snow. In the grand scape of it all, she was a tiny dot, slowly making its way across an empty, white horizon, nothing in her path, no destination in sight. The cold, something that had seemed secondary up to this point, now began to beg for her attention. Her bare feet were numb and her hair became stiff if not completely frozen. She let out a whimper of exhaustion and looked behind her shoulder, wondering if she really had truly escaped at all.

But when she did, she came face to face with a huge black crow. The dark soul was silently barreling towards her, only a foot away and wings extended to the point where they could wrap around her and consume her. She let out a yelp and fell backwards, her body disappearing for a moment.

"DON'T LEAVE ME!" the thing cried as it threw its weight on top of her.

Zelda squirmed frantically under its strength, knowing that if she stayed still for too long the thing would lean down and take a nice bite out of her face. She swung her wrench towards it, however her trusty weapon failed her, bouncing off the skin as if it were made of plastic. The dark soul, giving its wings a flap, lifted her into the air momentarily only to slam her back down to the earth, pushing her farther into the snow. She eventually felt the ground. "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME DON'T LEAVE ME!"

She allowed her thoughts to race as the thing screamed inches away from her face, the tip of the mask's beak poking her. It made itself tall, ready to throw down its one arm onto her, its mighty wings and mask a silhouette against the grey sky. As it towered over her, the mask seemed to be staring at her, not the dark soul itself. Seconds before the thing could land a blow, she gritted her teeth, reached out and gripped the long beak.

She pulled it away from the dark soul's face, stretching its stitches painfully, and gained back her footing. It cried out, loosened its grip and began to writhe towards her pull, just like it did for the girl. "Noooooo!"

Zelda did not release it like the girl had, however. She continued to pull and pull until the threads of yarn were pulled out of its flesh completely, its cries transforming into a full on scream of pain. She, now seeing the goriness of her actions, began to scream as well, eyes open and locked on the threads. This was too slow for her, too much effort to actually pull something off, but she didn't stop. When the mask was removed, the dark soul, collapsed in posture, threw its hands over its horrifically bloody face and cried, "DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

She then, crow mask in grip and panting furiously, watched the thing run away from her. She inhaled a great breath and hollered, "COWARD!"

Her body wobbled for a moment as she let out a whimper, alone and freezing, shin deep snow.


	40. Chapter 40: Colored Irises

_**Chapter 40: Colored Irises**_

Link never thought fire fell under his list of fears. It was a short list; drowning, heights, maybe a few others that kept him awake at night. But not fire. It seemed like something that was so mundane in small quantities and so unfathomable in large. But when he inhaled the smoke of the camp site, it smelled too familiar, too much like his ranch. He felt frightened.

As he, Arthur and Saria got closer, however, he realized it wasn't the fire itself that he was afraid of; he was afraid of loosing himself, and more so others, again in the flames.

The fire burned and flickered so bright it was as if the sun itself had fallen to the ground and shattered into flaming fragments. There were screams, but not of fright, which the travelers, more specifically their blue eyed leader who charged ahead, had grown accustomed to. They were more hollers of distraught, the same way a shepherd would holler if he discovered wolves tearing apart his flock.

They all came to a screeching halt when the trail came to an end in a slight cliff, observing the disarray of dark shapes, visible against the flames, disappearing in front of the dark trees as they ran. Some of them were carrying sacks and boxes. Others were pushing down women and barking profanities towards them. Link saw rogue dark souls.

"What do you wanna do?"

The fire was very bright, like the glow from heated, moldable iron. He imagined his monster, his old, skull faced friend lurking in the flames.

"Link!" Arthur snapped. "What do you wanna do? Help them?"

He decided not to answer. He decided instead to dig his heels into the flank of his beloved steed, sending her soaring over the cliff. For a moment that was short lived, they were flying.

Before they charged off after them, Arthur and Saria shared a brief glance. Arthur always admired how Saria's deep green eyes resembled the leaves of a forest. Now, however, the flicker of the fire diseased their color, a tiny wild fire taking place behind her eyelashes. He saw deer rushing out of her pupil, flames set to their pelts, and birds fleeing upwards towards her eyelid. The forest swept out of his view as Saria directed her attention ahead and rode off the cliff to the camp's aid. Arthur hesitated only for 1 minute.

As soon as the vagabond hit the ground, a thief rushed by him and caught his attention, something huddled in its grip.

"Hey!" he snapped and turned on a dime. After theatrically rearing his gallant steed, he raced after the thief, the sound of the hooves fantastic. It was fun, to him; he had never been the chaser, always the thief. How he has grown!

Link and Saria didn't seem to care that their companion decided to separate. All they could focus on was the people dispersing like ants. They were only a few, maybe 15 all together, but to them it might as well have been 100. Link, determined to chase down the evil bastards, tried to distinguish them from the innocents.

It was too late, of course; the dark souls darted in different directions, making it impossible for them to chase them all.

The two travelers were so dumbfounded they could do nothing but slightly turn their horses in circles.

Link, humiliated at their quick failure, couldn't believe dark souls could be clever enough to scatter in such a way, since they tend to follow the leader like mindless imps. He soon pinned it on chance and didn't think twice about it.

The aid they provided was no where near as heroic as they, more so Arthur, expected. There were no insane murders around to hunt down and kill in passionate revenge, no one to save from an expected blow from a sword or a fist. All of their weapons were left tucked away in their saddle bags as if they never owned them in the first place.

After the few fires, which, in scope, were miserable little things, were put out, all they could do was help clean up the mess the insane left behind.

Despite the abundance of those tasks, the only thing that stimulated Link was a thin girl with grey eyes that shone like a feline's. She thanked him once than disappeared soon after.

Link was never one to shy away from hard work, but he couldn't help the feeling that they were wasting time doing mindless tasks. He was little bored.

Arthur was less so. He caught up to the thief swiftly on horse back, forcing her to stop and cower in his greatness. However, when the thing in her arms revealed itself as a swaddled object, he realized he had just chased down a frightened young mother. She, with an exotic face of gold, held her palm against its head and held it tight to her chest, terrified more for her child then herself.

"Oh, uh-"

She bolted. As Arthur watched her shape disappear, her feet bare and her skin poorly covered, he felt the urge to go after her and explain himself, to make sure she knew he wasn't one of the camp's evil raiders. Or maybe, perhaps, just to convince her to return to her camp site in the process. And he did just that.

"Wait!"

Saria was foraging for discarded supplies behind a tent when a young, strapping young man came out of the forest behind her. "Hello. You're one of these kind folks who are lending us a hand, aren't you?"

"I suppose I am."

He stepped towards her revealing kind, enchanting golden eyes that matched highlights in his hair. He spoke urgently. "Would you help me?"

"With what?"

"Well, I was able to catch up to a few of those thieves deeper in the forest. They were gloating over their stolen goods. When they saw me, they ran and left some supplies behind. I think it's medicine. It's too much for me to carry on my own."

She raised an eyebrow and eyed the size of his arms. If he couldn't lift the supplies, she definitely couldn't. "You think I would be able to help you with that?"

"Sure. You seem very capable to me."

"Well I-"

"Please. My mother is ill and I'm worried they took everything."

Saria glanced over her shoulder and spotted Link, who quickly met her gaze and gave a bitter-sweet half smile. She watched as he lifted a crate of iron cook wear as if it were filled with feathers.

"If you're not up to it, I can find someone else. It's alright."

"No, I can do it. You'll have to lead me there."

She followed him into the forest, admiring the color of his shirt and how it seemed to change as he moved.

As Link helped a mid aged man set a tent, his feline-eyed friend returned. She had sharp face with a nose that swooped down into a perfect little point. Her lips were thin but pretty in shape, especially when she shot him a sweet, soft smile. When he realized she was there to speak to him, he said casually, not taking his attention off his work,

"You're back."

She handed him a small canteen. "I thought you'd be thirsty."

"Thank you."

She watched him drink then asked, "What's your name?"

"Link."

"That's interesting."

"What's yours?"

"Adelaide."

"See that's interesting, mine's just strange."

She asked her next question with slow, drawn out words. "Did you travel here alone?"

"No, I came here with…" he looked around to point his companions out, but he couldn't find them. In fact he furrowed his brow at the empty spot behind the tents where Saria just was. "…A few friends."

She followed him as he circled the tent, continuing his work. "Where are you traveling?"

"It's complicated," he murmured as he dropped down to one knee and began to work an iron pick. She stood beside and over him him, her bare feet and legs in his view.

"Where are you from? Is that complicated too?"

He glanced up at her and shot her a crooked smile. "Castle Town."

"That busy place? Wow, you must have some stories in you."

"Maybe a few."

"Are you staying here for the night?"

He gave an awkward chuckle. "I'm not sure…Are we welcome to stay?"

"Considering, I don't see why not. It'd be nice for you to stay. We can offer you a full meal and somewhere comfortable to sleep."

"Tempting," he said as he straightened himself. It was then he realized just how close Adelaide was, only a foot or so away from his chest. He resisted the urge to step back. If he did, he would never forgive himself. "….Is there anything else I can help you with?"

The young man lead Saria through the trees, ducking branches and pulling them to the side for her to pass, smiling brightly at her as he did so.

"Where are you from?"

"Kiorki."

"How nice. I wish I could settle down somewhere like that, so peaceful."

"For now."

He turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "A little dreary, don't you think?"

She smiled and looked ahead. "You're right. I guess I've been…a little shaken."

"I know how that feels. One minute we're all sleeping peacefully, and then our sheets are being ripped out from under us. I'm just glad no one got hurt."

"How much did they steal?"

"Almost everything."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Thank you, we'll be alright…..I never got your name."

"Saria."

"Pretty name, it suits you. I'm James. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you too."

Arthur caught up to the mother quickly, his horse's hooves basically grazing her heels. She refused to stop this time, fully willing to be run over rather then surrender. So Arthur boldly cut the chase short, not keen on either outcome, by barely halting and leaping off his steed as if it was only a few feet tall and still.

He took a few gravity charged steps before reaching out and gripping her blouse. When he did so, they both fumbled to a clumsy halt and she dropped her infant, gasping as the clothed body went pummeling to the ground. Arthur nearly screamed. That was his fault. It was always his fault, when things like this happened.

Once it hit the ground, aka before vials of medicine and golden jewelry came spilling out of the fabric, Arthur sighed in relief.

The thief, a short, curved young woman with brilliant golden honey eyes stood there, eyeing both Arthur and her spilled loot. Her body reminded him of something exotic, and he imagined if he were to taste her skin, it's flavor would carry a delightful spice. He dropped his eyes towards the glistening gold and glass, then let out a genuine laugh.

"Oh, that's good. Damn that's clever. You almost had me going there. Next time, try not to run so much, makes you more desirable."

"Almost had you going? You shouldn't seen the pathetic guilt in your eyes. You almost hurt a mother and a child."

"You're the one who dropped it."

"Good thing I'm not a mother."

"Not a very good thief either."

"I thought you said I was clever."

"I said _it _was clever, as in disguising your loot was clever, but running from a man a horse was not."

"I suppose it wouldn't be clever for me to try to run now would it?"

He tilted his chin upwards. "I think I'd be faster even on foot."

"And I suppose it wouldn't be clever to use my feminine charm against you?"

"...Can't say."

Link soon found himself with little to do, everything they could fix was fixed. The fire was out, the tents were set, and everyone seemed to be calmer.

He thought he would go search for Saria, who's location was still a mystery to him, but found himself distracted once again by a metallic shine.

"Hello again," Adelaide joined his side immediately, her voice sounding smoother than before.

"I think my companions and I may stay the night here, if not camp close by."

"That would be wonderful. Everyone around here is either an infant or past their forties; it's nice to have some new faces around here, it can get lonely."

"I understand that."

"But you said you're from Castle Town."

"Just because your surrounded by people doesn't mean it can't get lonely."

She smiled, stepped away from his side and in front of his path and asked, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

He glanced over his shoulder for a moment, not sure who or what he was looking for, then agreed with a bob of his head. He immediately regretted it.

He followed Adelaide through the campsite and into the forest trying not to let his eyes veer down below her back. No one was there to see him do so, and he was sure she wouldn't mind if she happened to look over her shoulder and catch him, but a low part of himself felt like it was better to save it, as if making the actual moment more awarding. Somehow, that was even more bawdy then just letting his eyes drop, but part of him started to feel like it wouldn't matter, like none of these things would matter in the end. He found himself disgusted.

He focused his attention on her blonde hair which seemed so thin and light he could almost see through it to her shoulders. The moon light was more present than it was before and soon illuminated the trees in a gorgeous white glow. Her hair shined like tinsel.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Anywhere you want."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that. He could imagine himself touching her and did imagine it. But considering it being the other way around made him sick.

Saria considered James's company enjoyable, he was sweet and well mannered. He asked her about Kiorki more than anything else, seeming extremely interested in where she came from and who she was. She liked Kiorki, so she liked telling him about it. She wished she could carry a conversation like that with Link or Arthur, but something about their disposition made that difficult. Link cared, but did not think to ask, and wasn't one to casually start a conversation anyway, no matter who he was talking to or what the subject matter was. He was never the first to speak, and she wasn't keen on being so either. Arthur didn't really care about her home life (or would grow bored) and although he would enjoy speaking to her, she knew the conversation would derail into something entirely random.

"Are we close to the supplies?" she asked after a while.

"Yes, it's just up here in this clearing."

The trees parted to reveal a small open space, the grass shining silver under the moonlight. James stood beside the opening, allowing her to pass through. As she passed by, the moonlight illuminated the side of his face and she noticed the subtle wrinkles and age defying marks in his face that were masked by the darkness earlier. It gave her an uneasy feeling in her gut, she realized he must be in his late twenties rather than in his late teens like the had previously thought, but she decided to not mention it, knowing it would be awfully rude to point that out.

She walked into the empty clearing, turned, and asked, "…Where are the supplies?"

Arthur eyed the thief, taking note of everything he could in the time he was given. "What's your name?"

"Mary."

"Fake name."

"If my name really were Mary I'd be insulted. Why is it fake?"

"Because you don't look like a Mary, Mary's too innocent, too light, too boring. You're name is something exciting and probably hard to pronounce."

"I suppose your name is-"

"Arthur," he began to walk towards her and stuck out a hand. She stepped back.

He nodded and dropped his hand by his side. "Alright, I get it."

"Nothing personal, Arthur," she pronounced his name in a way he had never heard it before. "Just have to be careful these days."

"Well when you're a thief.."

"When you're anyone."

"Why'd you steal the medicine?"

"My sister is terribly sick, this was the only way-"

"Cut the bullshit."

"It's valuable and I need money. Why do you care?"

"I shouldn't, really, I used to be like you." _You are like her._

"What? Now you've found the Gods and are living a better life?"

He smirked. "No. But even as a kid I knew my boundaries with theft. Steal what you need from people you hate, not medicine from traveling families." That was so hypocritical it was nearly absurd.

"A thief with a code is still a thief."

"I'm not saying I'm the angel here."

"Why do you steal? To save your starving family?"

"No. I travel around, so I'm not employed. I need to eat. A few loafs of bread here and there won't hurt anyone."

"What do you want from me? To arrest me? Blackmail me? Fight me?"

"I want you to return the medicine, I'll let you keep the jewelry. I'd take the deal if I were you."

After Link and Adelaide had walked for a while, she suddenly hopped forward and turned to Link, walking backwards effortlessly.

"You are mysterious," she cooed.

His face wrinkled. What an odd comment. "Mysterious? How so?"

"Your mouth says little but your eyes run deep and hold so many truths," she stopped, him nearly walking straight into her. "You have wonderful eyes."

He opened his mouth, as if to say something in return, then shut it, as if deeming the comment unworthy. She sounded like a writer and he was nothing of the sort.

She pulled him around, his back towards a tree, and stepped towards him. "It's a beautiful night, wouldn't you agree?"

He began to feel uncomfortable and watched her hands closely. He imagined biting them off if they came too close.

"I'm glad you're here with me, I don't feel so lonely anymore."

James stood there on the other side of the clearing, his hazel eyes now appearing as dull brown, muted by the moon's shine. He had this sick smile on his face that made Saria's stomach drop. She was amazed at how someone so good looking before could now look like a twisted monster.

"I've already told you we've stolen almost everything," James was walking towards her, so she impulsively began to back away. When he got too close, she inhaled quickly and prepared to flee but felt a hope-crushing grip on her forearm. She felt small, frail and bare, because she was. Her toes curled against the bottom of her shoe so dramatically her nails scratched the leather.

"_Almost _everything."

The thief crossed her arms. "And what if I don't take this deal?"

Arthur drew his reflective dagger, enjoying its flicker in the moonlight. "Then maybe I will have to fight you."

"With that toy?"

"This is not a toy."

"Doesn't look like it can do much."

He spotted a thin sampling to his side and swiftly flung his weapon straight towards it, ready to demonstrate its sharpness by cutting the tree clean in half. Instead, the blade merely wedged itself into the tree a few inches, pitifully failing to make it even halfway through. The thief raised an eyebrow.

"Wow you're serious I should just give up and agree if I want to spare my own life."

"It was supposed to go right through."

"Yeah that would've been more impressive."

"It doesn't matter, something tells me I can take you regardless. Give up the medicine and be on your way."

Surprisingly, after a moment, she agreed, bent down and began to sort the medicine away from the jewelry. She tied up the golden goods in her cloth, fashioning a makeshift sack, and walked towards him. He took a step back but allowed her to approach, intrigued by the slight smirk across her face. He kept one foot slightly backwards, however, ready to fight his way out if he needed to.

"Thank you," she cooed as she found herself merely a few inches away from him. He stared into her fierce eyes and believed they would cost more then the gold in her sack. She leaned forward and placed her full lips against his cheek. Her scent reminded him of an open field. "For sparing me."

She then turned and took off, somehow seeming faster than she did before. He stood there, alone, with a bitter sweet smile across his face.

He then began to pick up the vials of medicine, thinking about how happy the campers would be when he returned them. He placed them in his pockets to realize there was an odd amount of free space inside them. He took out the vials and padded his pocket. Empty. He felt his other one. Empty. She took the rupees from his pockets. He smiled towards the spot in the forest where she had disappeared. "Not bad."

Airedale allowed her eyes to fall to Link's feet then rise slowly up to his eye line again as she backed him up against the tree. When he felt his back press against the bark, he opened his mouth to speak, to tell her to stop.

She suddenly placed her hands on his upper chest, which seemed abrupt to him; to him, and only to him, she might as well put his cock in her mouth.

"You are very handsome," she murmured.

Flustered, he smiled and did nothing else. He wanted to take her hands off him. He wanted to squirm away and find Saria, but he didn't.

She noticed something in his reaction, but not the truth.

"And you're shy about it, which makes you even more so. Some men are too proud of themselves, they don't even give us girls a chance."

Her eyes twinkled under the moonlight like gems, like she was made for the night. She then slid her hands upwards to the far back sides of his head and lightly held them there. He was screaming on the inside. How could she not see it?

Without a second thought, she leaned forward and kissed him softly. Her lips were thin, but shaped with his nicely. He began to calm down. He thought she smelled like sunflower seeds.

Another pair of lips were in use, but in a far more disturbing manner. James had placed his against Saria's forehead, and with his hands gripping her arms, all she could do was cringe and shrivel away. Her eyes were watering now, a single tear running down her cheek. She was petrified and disgusted, both with men and her foolish decision to follow a stranger into the woods willingly. She dreaded what was about to happen, she felt helpless, like there was nothing she could do to stop it. In that moment, her life was over.

She opened her mouth, but James interrupted her before she could do anything, placing a disgusting finger against her lips.

"Sh-shhh-shh, don't scream, don't you scream."

She turned her head and took a staggered breath. She knew it would only get worse, and in that moment, she decided it was too terrible a fate to not fight against. So she exploded into action, squirming in panic. He did not deserve to touch her. He reacted just as aggressively by gripping her shoulders and pulling her downwards. When she felt his strength overpower her, fear consumed her and just as James took a fistful of fabric from her shirt, she let out a long drawn out screech.

"_LIIINNNNKKKKKKK_!"

Airedale drew in a breath and moved her lips from Link's own down to his neck and kissed him there, softly at first, then more aggressively almost to where she more sucking his skin, like he was made of hard candy and she was trying to bring out the flavor.

He let her do so just like he let his head fall against the tree bark. He stared at the infinite forest ahead of him and could imagine the marks she would leave behind on his skin. The flush that once ran through his veins and skin before was gone, his heart beat was calm. Slow, even.

But then a faint, eerie sound traveled to his ears, one that sent shivers down his legs.

Saria was screaming his name.

He didn't need to listen twice, he knew it was her and he knew something was wrong. He squirmed out from under Airedale so quickly she fell forward against the bark of the tree.

He never ran faster in his life, not that he had a really reason to until now. Adrenaline is quiet a substance, he felt like he was running so fast he could bring his arms downward into a gallop as if he were a powerful stallion. An odd thought.

This little moment of buried fantasy didn't matter; he knew whatever Saria had gotten herself into, it would only get worse until he got there. Every second counted.

He probably should have used more stealth instead of bursting into the clearing as clumsily and bombastically as he did. He didn't even stop to absorb the situation, like a bull or a young colt plowing through two gates. His eyes, although hindered by the night, saw Saria and saw a figure holding her, that was enough for him to ram into it without a second thought.

Saria scrambled away on the ground, a wave of pure joy and relief taking over her when she saw James' shape disappear from her view.

With all of his rage, it was easy for Link to tackle the monster violently to the ground and immediately deliver blows to its face, a few to the nose, a few to the eyes. However, despite his fueled passion, it was surprisingly easy, given a dark soul's uncanny strength and shell like skin. Link didn't question it though, he didn't give him enough time to.

However, when bright red blood came seeping of its nose, Link realized he was not looking at the disgusting hued skin of a dark soul, but the flesh colored one of a human. Its eyes were not gaping black holes, but muddy brown ones.

He paused for a moment, pinning James down, and stared at him with wild eyes. "You're a human?!"

"What'd you think I was?" he spat back as he squirmed. "A fucking monkey?!"

Baffled, Link turn his head to Saria, who stood there, gripping her own arm. The look in her face, the look of shame and vulnerability, told him everything. While his attacker was taken off guard, James managed to squirm out from Link and began his escape, the coward didn't even put up a good fight. A broken nose and a bruised eye was all it took for him to abandon the fight. Link, infuriated, first swiped for his ankle, muttering, "You piece of shit" while he did so, then scrambled to his feet to chase after the bastard. Right before he exploded into motion, however, he quickly looked behind his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Saria, right before he swung his head forward once again ready to bolt. But he managed to absorb the look in Saria's face in that quick instant, and looked back again to see her, down on the forest floor, looking up at him with a heartbroken gaze. He looked once more towards the spot where James had disappeared.

Saria glanced downwards, preparing to wait for her savior to dash off and return, but soon found herself staring at his gloved right hand, which he held out to her to help her up.

She smiled softly, took it, and found herself enveloped in his arms. He didn't like to be touched, and it was rare for him to touch others, but he felt this was an exception.

She pressed her face so forcefully into his chest her nose bent.

"Are you okay?" Link asked, basically speaking into her copper hair. He never noticed how it smelled.

"I am now…..Can we get out of here?"

"Definitely."


	41. Chapter 41: Dramatic Irony

Zelda had been kneeled down in the snow for mere seconds, but as she noticed the grey sky quickly turning to an otherwise beautiful inky blue, she felt as if she had wasted hours. Sinal could have caught up to her by that point, considering how slow she had been moving. The dark soul's black blood had cut through the snow and left stained depressions behind. The crow mask, which she dropped by her side, had already sunken in a quarter of the way, however her wrench was still in her tight grip. She had let herself fall to her knees merely because she believed she deserved a moment to recollect her thoughts and her breaths after she had just conquered so many hindrances.

She did not stand up, however, because she did not know what to do next. Nothing laid before her but snow and an impending night sky. The cold was beginning to freeze her limbs, and she knew she had already lost a toe or two. It began as a bitter burn, then escalated to a deep, pailful ache, and now, it felt numb, like nothing, like the body parts never existed. She soon came to the conclusion that she wouldn't survive. After all she had risked and gone through, she found herself in a worse position than before. It was stupid of her, really, to believe she could escape and continue to safety in nothing but a thin gown. Her decision making, her priorities and her self worth were challenged as she hunched over and let out a whimper.

She was so distraught, however, that she hadn't noticed the back of her hand light up again. She had no way of knowing when it decided to glow between the time it had first illuminated to the time it had disappeared, but now that the skye was darkening and time stood still, it caught her attention.

She didn't think much of it, not knowing how a light would solve her problems.

Her opinion didn't change, even when two fuzzy branches appeared before her, stuck upright in the snow.

She stared at these branches, wondering if they were really there or not and where the tree was that served as their source.

And then the branches moved slightly. One lifted and revealed a hoof on the end and stuck itself into the snow slightly closer to Zelda.

She looked up to see an elk staring down at her with magnificent antlers that were so intricate that each appeared as an ivory colored tree on top of the beast's head. There was something ethereal about its appearance: illuminated streaks of blue that flowed across its flank, down its legs, up its neck, and joined together near at its forehead in brilliant patterns. The color was glowing so bright it was uncanny, as if the color that ran through the animal had a life of its own, like a parasite.

She half believed the deer would attack her, considering the way it loomed over her, but its celestial disposition also made it seem wise and caring, not barbaric. Especially when it gracefully bowed its head, Zelda knew the blue infected deer would not hurt her. In fact, it was offering her a ride.

Link walked Saria back to the camp site with his arm around her, not letting her budge a single inch away from him. Not that she would; to her, she wasn't close enough. She thought she would never want to be near another human being again. But she knew Link didn't count, because he would never hurt her. She wanted to press herself so close to him that he would surround her and if anything tried to hurt her, it would merely bounce off her human shell.

"Saria," Link began softly, thinking he should ask her now, before she removed the memory from her mind. "He didn't….I mean did he actually-..?"

"No. Nothing happened. I'm fine."

He wanted to say something that would disprove that she was fine, he wanted to tell her that she didn't need to act so strong and that she didn't need to invalidate her reaction, but he couldn't come up with the words, so he just pulled her closer.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Of course," he murmured as they stepped into the light of the camp's fire pits and lanterns. A few of the campers, older men and woman, looked up at them. They looked at Saria. But they didn't dare stop them in their journey towards their horses. Link would've rammed right through them anyway.

Link knew grey eyes were watching him in innocent curiosity, but he kept his attention ahead, to Epona. He just needed to get to Epona so he could take Saria away from these woods and back to the mountain trail.

Arthur came into view, appearing from the woods closest to the horses and farthest from where Link and Saria had just been. A smile broke out across his face when he saw them. It died in seconds.

"What happened?" he asked Link.

Link didn't respond; Arthur wasn't expecting him to. Without another word to the campers, they mounted their steeds and rode off into complete darkness, up the mountain trail, rising above the woods.

They didn't stop until the light of the camp's fire was gone from their view. They had to turn a sharp corner to do so.

Saria was the first to retreat to her tent. She wanted the night to be over.

Link managed to whisper to Arthur what happened, and he reacted by strolling up to Saria's tent and speaking into the fabric.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said.

She didn't respond.

Link had nearly invited Saria to sleep in his with him, wondering if she'd rather sleep next to someone, but decided against it.

Now, however, once he was curled up underneath his thin blankets, he wished he did ask her; to provide him with more body heat. It was difficult to fall asleep in the bitter night air, which was only growing worse as they moved farther north. It not only riddled his skin with bumps, but reminded him of the Northern Mountains and the under ground prison the thing described to him back at the castle. It reminded him of his burden.

Now that time has passed, he wondered if the stale information was still relevant. Perhaps the thing was wrong and too insane for them to believe. It would truly be a waste if the thing was wrong, Zelda could end up dead by the time they corrected their destination. She could be dead anyway.

Helping the camp only wasted a few hours of sleep instead of travel time, considering how late it was when they arrived, yet Link still looked back on the moment with regret. If they had never stopped, they would've set camp earlier, fallen asleep to warmer air, woken up refreshed, and most of all, Saria would've have suffered an attempted rape.

That was the last thing that came to mind.

He knew thinking of alternative paths was just toxic to himself; if he had never gone hunting that one night, Zelda would've have been taken in the first place. If he didn't turn his attention away from his enemy, she wouldn't have gotten away and they would've figured out where Zelda was for sure without wasting their time on a chance. But he couldn't help it.

Consequently, it wasn't the cold that was keeping him up, but he still pinned it on that, thinking it would be the easiest thing to fix. When he left his tent to retrieve his parka from Epona's saddle bag, he nearly flinched at the sight of Saria, sitting on a log, staring into the forest.

"Saria?"

She didn't respond. She didn't even look over her shoulder. She was staring at something.

"Saria."

"Look at this bird," she said.

"What bird?"

"It's a mourning dove."

"Why are you up? Are you alright?"

"Come here and look at this."

He sat down next to her and stared into the woods and did indeed see a single dove sitting close by on a branch.

"Don't you see it?"

"I do. What about it?"

"Well," she scoffed as if it was obvious. "Don't you think it's odd that a mourning dove is here? This late at night? So close to the north?"

"I suppose it's a little strange."

"And it's staring at me."

Link turned his head away from the bird to look at Saria. He didn't ask her any follow up questions, deciding to let her speak.

"Can't you tell?" she pointed a finger out towards the cream colored bird. "It turns its head but its round black eyes stay on me."

"…Saria, why are you up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Are you alright?"

"Just a little lost in thought," she puts a hand on her chest and rhythmically and aggressively thumps it to a rhythmic beat. "And my heart is beating hard. I can feel it in my ears and through my ribs."

Link watched her palm rise and fall. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how stupid I've been."

"Saria what happened at the camp site wasn't-"

"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about my decision to follow you in the first place."

He was insulted by her bluntness. "Saria what happened could've happened anywhere-"

"I'm not talking about what happened at the camp site!" she snapped bitterly.

Link silenced and shoved the feeling of being insulted into a small corner of his mind and ignored it. He glanced at the dove as it fluttered away.

"It was stupid of me to come with you," she whispered, as if to herself.

"You don't have to stay."

"I can't go back."

"Yes you can. Arthur will go back with you. He'll agree to do so, I have at least that amount of faith in his character. If he doesn't, I'll pay him to do so. And don't worry about me, I can make it on my own. Even if I don't, I have no need to bring you two down with me."

"It's not because I'm afraid of traveling alone. It's because nothing is waiting for me back where I came from."

"In Kiorki?"

"Anywhere. It doesn't matter. I've been living a pathetic life of routine. I've had no friends. Not real ones, none that I would die for. I have no family…I can't retrace my steps, I can't waste more weeks of my life merely trekking land I have already crossed. My life at home is not a good enough reason to turn around, not after I've traveled so far."

It was silent for a moment. Link knew she wasn't finished speaking even though she took a long, drawn out pause. So he waited for her to continue in the dark, staring at the spot on the branch where the dove had once been.

"But now," she suddenly wept, her voice broken and tears welling in her eyes, "I don't know what to do." Her voice was soft and strained, like that of an old, sweet woman as she wept her words. "I know it'll only get worse. And I don't think I've," she took one long, desperate inhale, her breath staggered into several broken fragments. "Prepared myself well for what's ahead. I left Kiorki because I felt like it was my chance to really start a life, to do something real and important before I die."

She allowed her face to shrink up in a distraught mess of wet wrinkles and shook her head. "But now I'm scared," she wept. "It'll only get worse from here and…and I don't want to see one of them. I saw one when I was younger but I-I d-don't remember exactly what it l-looked like. I don't want to see one again and be reminded. I don't want to look at its face!"

She struggled to contain herself, using her hand to somehow gesture the air into her lungs. Link wanted to reach out to comfort her, perhaps place a hand on her back, but he withheld himself. Somehow, that felt like the wrong thing to do. She then took another breath and seemed to calm herself. She said, in a more controlled manner, "But I can't turn back now. I knew this decision meant no turning back, that I would stick with you and your journey until an uncontrollable force torn us apart….It's only," a neat tear ran down her cheek, separating itself from the messy others. "Part of me wishes I didn't make that decision." She looked him in the eyes for the first time that night. "I'm worried it was the wrong one."

Link stared back. He didn't know what what to do.

"I know you feel like you do, but you don't have to stay. I can take you back to Castle Town and get you a job. There are other options."

She placed a few fingers across her chin and mouth in silent distress. She obviously didn't feel like repeating herself.

"…But if you do stay, I'll do my best to make sure nothing happens to you."

She turned her head again to look at him a second time. After a moment of her eyes staring into his, slightly twitching back and forth as if she was reading tiny writing on his eyeballs, she smiled.

She didn't believe him.

"Thank you, Link."

And with that, she left and retreated into her tent, not another tear shed. Link followed her soon after, let all of his weight settle into his blankets and took a breath, still and ready to drift into sleep. It was then, however, when a shiver ran up his spine, that he made a horrible realization; he forgot to grab the parka.

Riding an elk was similar to riding a horse, which Zelda knew how to do very well, however her muscles and skin were so tight from the cold she couldn't have felt more uncomfortable as the animal galloped impressively through the snow, as if the substance weren't frozen at all, like cream. Her fingers at that point were so frozen in their grip on the pelt, she felt if she were to lift and bend them, they would snap in two. So strong was this feeling that she refused to move an inch, making herself even more stiff than the weather did.

Mentally, however, she began to feel the sweet warmth of relief. She was moving away from the prison, from Sinal, and fast. She wished she were an elk or better yet a horse (however an elk seemed to be the superior choice at that point) so she could dash off into a daring escape at any moment she'd choose. As a two legged beast, she could see herself tiring out before an animal would even think to quicken its pace of breath.

The elk never showed any signs of fatigue, proving that it was not something of her world, especially considering how long and how far they had been traveling together. It wasn't until its hooves hit grass, gorgeous green grass, that it seemed to relax its stride. Or perhaps that was Zelda just imagining everything around her moving to a calmer pace now that she could see green. The wind was gentler, the cold began to withdraw from her bones, and the sound of the hooves was a beautiful melody.

On could imagine her concern when the elk halted when it reached the common mountain path and bowed down once again, encouraging its rider to dismount. Zelda didn't think she could make it on her own yet, so terrified of the thought she considered beating the elk with her wrench and using the strings from the mask to tie the animal to her wrist. She would never let it leave her. The thought was dismissed.

Zelda stood on her feet, which were painfully receiving feeling once again, and watched the elk walk away from her, somehow more clumsily and animal like than it did before. To further her suspicion, the blue glow was so dull, it had almost disappeared. It disappeared completely the moment she turned her back.

It was full on night now, the moonlight was the only thing keeping Zelda from wandering blindly off the side of the mountain trail and falling to her death. She thanked the gods for allowing that night to be a full moon.

Her wrench and mask were difficult things to carry with her, but she didn't dare leave either of them behind. For some reason, she felt the need to keep them. Fate had been on her side thus far and considering her luck she assumed they might serve her purpose in the future. She had removed the wrench from its place tucked in the strap of her upper under garment, the only place where she could put such a thing, and now held it tight in her grip once again, not trusting any corner she came across.

As multiple fire places from traveling camps caught her eye, she came to the conclusion that she must steal in order to continue. Not only was she exhausted and freezing (less so as she continued south) she was starving and parched.

Even though she found herself heading towards a glow of a fire far in the distance, she came across another camp on the way, one with no fire set and the campers fast asleep. She began to feel her stomach churn with anxiety, worried about the repercussions if she were to be found. Worse of all, her name would get out and somehow she felt like that would lead to Sinal finding her. What she didn't know is that he was already making his way to retrieve her, hours away. How and where he was traveling is unknown even to a third party observer, for if he were to look upon the same path Zelda had taken, it would be empty.

So, after some thought, she decided to be capricious, even though the mollified situation didn't call for it. Curiously, the silence of the night agitated her equally as the chaos in the prison. She lifted her mask and tied it around her head, ignoring the feeling of foreign blood being pressed against her face, thus protecting her name. She held her wrench in the tightest grip she could manage, thus protecting her body. All she had left to do was decide what to take. Her eyes barely made out the shape of three horses and focused on the brightest one, the grey one with heavy, plentiful saddle bags. Hearing a rustle, she chose this as her target, mounted it and galloped off with it, hoping what was in the saddle bags was helpful.

Masked as both a crow and an outlaw, she rode off without looking back and wouldn't stop until the sun rose.

Saria was mounting Epona as the sun rose, considering her own horse had mysteriously vanished over night. After wasting dawn's light investigating the scene, the travelers couldn't figure out whether it was stolen or ran away, but it was clear it was long gone. Saria mourned more for the lost supplies rather than the animal itself, she claimed she was happy she never got around to naming it.

Arthur protested her riding with Link rather than himself, asking her how she would ever fall in love with him if she made such choices. The travelers then found out, apparently to Arthur, Saria was bound to fall in love with one of them, considering their age and the emotional toll of the journey. And, according to him, she was giving Link an unfair advantage.

"You can't escape it," he cooed playfully as they finally pulled out of their camp site. "It's inevitable."

Saria just rolled her eyes.

They traveled in silence and they traveled fast. Cloaked in thick fabrics, they were prepared to cross the barrier between boulders and grass to mounds and mounds of snow. The ride, despite growing colder by the minute, was peaceful. They couldn't see the mountains anymore; they were in them.

It was peaceful, of course until, Saria spotted a crow to the side of the trail. It was perched upon a branch which stuck outwards of an extremely tall tree that managed to stretch its way from the forest floor to the height of the trail. The bird was so black against the grey morning sky it appeared as a silhouetted. She watched it as they galloped by. As she did so, the crow flapped its wings and launched itself effortlessly into the sky, leaving the branch behind to wobble.

The moment, the very second the crow was out of sight, a new silhouette rose out of the tree and spread its wings, following it, as if it were the elongated shadow of the tiny bird. At first, Saria gawked at the gigantic bird for that brief moment when time seemed to slow down. She thought it was a condor, a Jurassic sized creature with a red, featherless head that was soaring above them. But when a limb came out to the side and presented itself against the sky, she realized it was not a bird at all.

She screamed, but Link and Arthur had already noticed, they were already pulling violently on the reins, screeching their horses to a halt.

The dark soul hit the ground with a clumsy tumble, as if it didn't know how to fly, its face still relatively covered.

Link leapt to the ground and drew his sword, Arthur followed close behind. Saria hesitated. She watched the way it's extended and twisted limbs writhed on the floor. It was acting like it had been set on fire.

At first, Link and Arthur prepared to fight, but as the demon gained its footing onto its haunches in a reclusive posture, hiding its face with the top tip of its wing, Arthur smirked.

"Looks like we got a coward."

It was trembling in distraught. It was horribly confused. It let out a weak hiss and began to back away, tripping on its own wings.

"Arthur," Link warned.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked the creature smugly.

"Arthur!"

"It's fine Link, we can take this little-"

Arthur took one step too far, as he always did. The dark soul whipped its head out of its hiding, exposing its horrific, scared and bloody face, and let out a screech.

"SHIT!" Arthur yelped with wide eyes and fell backwards at the sight. There was no skin, just bloody tissue clinging to the skull. There was one empty socket in place of its left eye, the other one half full with a damaged eyeball. White liquid the consistency and color of rotten milk seeped out. Its mouth was non-existent, just tendons and ligaments torn open to expose a gaping hole.

"I want to go home!" It screeched.

Arthur scrambled backwards frantically, eventually hitting Link's shins. "What is that?!"

"It's a dark soul."

"That can't be a dark soul!"

"I thought you said we could take him."

Arthur stood up, brushed himself off and took a tiny step behind Link. "What do you wanna do?"

He stared at the dark soul, at its collapsed posture, at its missing teeth, eyes and limbs, and finally said, "Put it out of its misery."

Arthur looked at him, then down at his feet. "You can get this one."

The one armed and faceless dark soul barely put up a fight, it seemed to be a creature of fragile habit. It was a fragile creature.

Link, unlike his jocular companion, didn't play with his food. He wanted to kill it and be done with it. But once he lifted his sword, ready to strike it, something the dark soul yelled made him think otherwise.

"DON'T TAKE ME UNDER AGAIN!"

He paused, his foot clamped down on the thing's tail. "What did you just say?"

It didn't respond, of course, it just wiggled and squirmed in the other direction.

"Link!" Arthur called as he bent down to pick something up. It was a torn piece of fabric that once clung to the dark soul's claw. It was from Zelda's gown. He lifted it up for Link to see. "Look familiar?"

"Shit," he murmured and looked down at the dark soul. "Where did you come from?"

"I WANNA GO HOME!" it twisted its head and looked at Saria. "SHE LEFT ME!"

"What?" Saria asked, half to herself.

Arthur chose his next words carefully on risk of sounding idiotic. "You don't think this thing could actually…"

Link lifted his foot and the dark soul bolted towards the mountains. "Um…"

They stared at each other for less than 3 seconds before bolting to their horses.

Before he swung his heel down into Epona's flank, Link said to Saria, "Well, you saw a dark soul. Unfortunately it was the ugliest one I've ever seen."

They were in such a rush, he didn't have time to think over how boorish that comment was.


	42. Chapter 42: The Ice

Link underestimated just how cold the Northern Mountains could be. He underestimated how cold he could be. He underestimated the feeling all together. At least they were moving so fast his mind could focus on other things, like the insane demon barreling up the trail. Its limbs occasionally banged against the stones and rocks, hard enough to seriously harm it, but it pushed on as if it felt no pain. It was a flying corpse.

"Link?!" Saria called, her tone indicating she had asked for him before, and pressed her forehead against him with slight pressure. "Are we almost there?"

He had been lost in thought. "Um….Yes! We're almost there!"

Arthur turned to him. "How do you know that?!"

_ I hope we're almost there._

The horses wouldn't be able to keep up with the dark soul's pace for much longer, Link imagined the burning sensation in their muscles, like acid was corroding the very tissue. He pitied them. The dark soul's muscles were dead, it wouldn't feel the acid, it would just keep going until its numb muscles gave out. No painful warning.

* * *

><p>Her door opened. She looked up and blinked, the crust in the creases of her eyes crumbling.<p>

A woman stood there, older than the girl, perhaps in her twenties, however age in their world was always just an estimate. She, unlike the girl, was completely covered with armor. Like the other dark guards, her skin was tinted and her hair was wired.

The girl stood up. Blood trickled down her legs in streams, creating a puddle around her feet. "No recovery time, huh?"

The woman didn't respond, instead she swung around and began to walk down the hall. The girl rolled her eyes and bounded to the woman's side, leaving little blood puddles as footprints. "Oh come on, us girls have to stick together."

The woman glanced down towards the girl's bare feet and sneered.

"It takes a lot of pretension to judge someone down here," the girl growled.

The woman's expression soured like she didn't fully understand that accusation.

It was silent, except for the sounds of the prison. They have become experts at drowning it out; they programmed their ears to be deaf besides what they needed to hear.

"I'm not judging you," the woman said after a moment. "I simply don't like you."

"This is the second time I've laid eyes on you, is it not?"

The woman turned her head towards the intersecting hallway, something they all had learned to do, then breathed, "Doesn't change my opinion."

"He doesn't care much for opinions."

The woman broke out a smile. "Right."

"Why don't you like me? Not that it really matters. But it's nice to know. We're in a very fragile society down here."

The woman glanced behind her shoulder then said, "He's going to kill me because of you."

"I don't think you can pin a reason to anything he does. And even if you could, why would it be me?"

The girl then snapped her own head to look over her shoulder.

The girl actually had figured why she was the reason at that point. She was younger and prettier and faster and stronger and Sinal didn't need another woman strolling the halls. He didn't keep things he didn't need alive. But she asked the woman anyway, wanting to hear her own thoughts in another's voice.

The woman did not answer. Instead she turned her head towards a rouge dark soul in a cell and said with a casual, friendly voice, "Do you think he will kill me or turn me into one of these psychos?"

"Kill you."

"I suppose that makes sense. My role as a soldier would be even more useless than I am now…..I wish he'd just do it instead of holding out on me. I know he will and he knows I know."

The girl began to feel uneasy around the bipolar woman. "If you keep talking about him so freely your wish will be granted."

"Sometimes I wonder.." she looked over her shoulder again and brought her voice down to an intriguingly low level, "why there are more of those psychos then us. I mean, we must be more useful than these animals….." she leaned in towards the girl with a wicked grin, like she was a teenager about to gossip."Sometimes," she began. "I think he's afraid-"

The girl stiffened and kept her eyes ahead. A sentence as dangerous as that is not gossip, it's suicide.

"…that we'll rebel or betray him and that's why there's only a few of us."

"He isn't afraid of anything."

"I used to be like you, always worried about my tongue, but now I-" the woman froze. Two 'hands' had calmly wrapped around the balls of her shoulders from behind.

The girl paused a few steps ahead but refused to look back. She chose not to look at the woman's face.

"You carry on, I shall follow," Sinal said to her from behind. "And remember…"

"Yes, I know," the girl said and continued her walk, leaving the woman behind. "…Last chance."

* * *

><p>"Well," Arthur began with a huff as they stared into the snowy horizon. Any trace of green grass, blue sky, grey stone or black demon was gone.<p>

The wind whistled in Link's ear and told him to not stay still for too long. Even though neither of them said it, he knew they were thinking 'what now?'

Two arms suddenly snaked in front of his stomach and gently squeezed him. Saria was hugging him from behind. He cringed.

"I know it's cold…." he began.

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

"So what do you wanna do?" Arthur asked Link.

"What? Now I make all the decisions?"

"Just the tough ones."

Link felt frustration boil in his gut as another strong gust of wind stung the side of his cheek, not even giving him a chance to begin to think. He didn't understand why they had to be lead to a place like this. Why the dark soul had to fly so fast that it eventually disappeared into the storm, why the weather had to be so demanding. Everything that was out of their control made the situation as difficult as possible. Why did the prison have to be in the Northern Mountains? Underground? He soon seized this trail of thought knowing it was futile and would only lead to the question of why any of this happened in the first place.

Despite this frustration and despondency that the weather dawned upon him, he couldn't help the feeling that turning around would be a grave mistake. It seemed more senseless to retreat after they had come so far rather than travel in-promptly in a storm with no reference of direction or destination.

Yet, there was also the question of just how far they were willing to travel into this snow, how far they were willing to trudge tediously through the thick snow, how far they were willing to push themselves and their horses. How nice would it be, if they could set up camp and re-evaluate in the morning? In that case, how nice would it be if the sun was shining and the ground was clear? They weren't given those options, of course, now that the gods seemed to get a kick out of testing their endurance. They had to make a choice whether to play it safe and turn back or march forward into chilling uncertainty.

"I think we should keep going," he finally said. "I feel like whether there's something out there or not I will still regret not making sure."

His companions didn't respond to this, although Arthur failed to hold back a look of disappointment and reluctance. Without saying anything more, Link kicked Epona's side and the poor horse slowly continued to walk, hoping and praying her owner knew what he was doing.

* * *

><p>The girl dropped to one knee as the faceless dark soul came charging through the snow and held out a hand. "Here boy," she whispered.<p>

It halted before here and whimpered like the dog it was, not being able to decide whether to go around her, back up, or barrel through her.

"What happened to you, you ugly thing? You must be the ugliest thing I have ever seen. Who took your mask from you?"

It went around her, scrambled up onto its pedestal and buried its bloody face and mangled body underneath its wings, a lifeless gargoyle once again.

The girl straightened herself and turned her attention ahead where the weather began to clear and shapes began to form themselves in the distance. She squinted her violet eyes in an emotion indistinguishable even to herself.

* * *

><p>As the weather cleared and a little splash of blue sky began to peak its way into view, the travelers were able to make out a single dark shape, which, although precariously arcane, shined as a tell of discovery and reassurance. There was something out there, whether it was something that would help them was still up for debate. But at least they found something.<p>

None of them said anything about it, the only one who spoke was Saria, innocently pointing out that they had reached the frozen ocean. Apparently there was a change from snow to ice that was obvious but Link couldn't make it out. It all looked white to him.

Every inch that disappeared between them and the object, the clearer it became. They were able to separate the object into two, the black winged creature on top and the strange stone color structure below it. It was the faceless beast they had been following for miles.

"I know what that is," Arthur said in a rather hushed voice, like he was in awe, as they approached the structure which was now clearly an elaborate pedestal.

Link stared at him, thinking he would explain himself, then grew impatient and asked, "What is it?"

"Let's just say it's a good thing we came out here."

He felt a smile creep onto his face with satisfaction as he dismounted Epona but cringed when his feet plunged into the snow. He pitied his horses.

He made his way over to the pedestal, swerving around the big, uneven mounds of snow that plagued the land. He was not concerned with the demon sitting on top of it.

Arthur quickly and sternly warned him against touching it.

Before he could ask why, the earth began to rumble.

Link had his sword gripped firmly in his gloved hand as he stared down into the crevasse, keeping a deep distance away from it. It was quiet except for that bombastic howl of the wind who seemed to be looking for nothing but attention. They were waiting for something to happen, Link in particular expected dark souls to swarm out of the hole like insects as he had once seen before. But they did no such thing, in fact, there was no movement at all. Link could swear on his mother's nonexistent grave that he heard voices deep down, but didn't mention it in fear that his own voice would drown out them out.

They waited a good 30 seconds in silence for something to happen before Arthur opened his mouth.

"Should we-"

Link did not see it at first, but a phenomenon had occurred behind him that interrupted whatever suggestion his companion was about to make. Dark souls had sprung out from under the snow, deep from within the lumpy banks, and rose into the sky like monstrous prairie dogs. They were nothing, however, to the dark guards, the sophisticated maniacs that had snuck up from behind and latched themselves to Saria and Arthur, clamping their half-decomposed hand over their mouths before they could gasp.

By the time Link had turned around, his companions were being held hostage with knives to their throats. Saria was as stiff as a board.

"BOO!"

Link flinched as a small framed figure clapped her hands on his shoulders.

"Happy to see me? It's been a while. You look great!"

He gritted his teeth at the sound of his enemy's voice and turned to lift his sword.

"AH AH AH! I wouldn't do that if I were you!" she was holding one finger up to him, a palm to the guards.

He paused when he laid on eyes on the knives that seemed pressed too firmly against his friends' neck.

"There ya go, you get it now, don't you? I didn't even bring a weapon outside with me because I know this encounter of ours wouldn't involve any fighting." She suddenly dropped her eyes to his sword and smiled. "You didn't get the right sword yet? Maybe it's in your best interest not to fight."

It was then Link remembered the reason he was there. He was there to get Zelda and he wouldn't be there otherwise. He was surprised how easily he forgot that objective, like he was trudging on simply for the reason of...having a reason.

"Where's-"

"Zelda? Oh she's not here anymore."

He narrowed his eyes at her obvious lie.

"No, I'm serious," she insisted whole heartily. "She's gone. The damsel in distress broke herself out and escaped all on her own. I guess she didn't feel like waiting around for you. Can you believe that? You were about….mmm….5 to 8 hours late I'd say. I'd say that's strike two, the first one being you letting her get kidnapped in the first place of course. I guess things didn't work out the way you thought they would."

He couldn't keep track of the different thoughts and feelings that were swirling inside him after she had said that. She was telling the truth. Zelda wasn't there. He was late. This journey was pointless. This journey wasn't pointless. She is lying. Zelda's in the prison.

He glanced at his companions. What a site they were.

He knew that she had something twisted brewing in her thoughts and saying this would only egg her on, but he felt he was obligated to do so anyway. "They have nothing to do with this," he began. "I'm the one you're after. Let them go."

"Oh but you're wrong. They do have something to do with this. It's rather cliche, I know, but I'm planning on killing them if you don't do what I say."

He was silent a moment, not fully absorbing the situation. It was like he was in a play or a story book and for some reason, it was hard for him to take it seriously.

Apparently she could read his mind.

"Do you need an example, to show you I'm serious? Want me to kill one of them so you can understand just how terrible it is?"

"Which one?" the guard holding Saria suddenly asked. She cringed at the sound of his voice, which was like the hiss of a snake.

His enemy, without taking her eyes of Link, said, "Kill the man. He cares more about the girl and won't do it afterwards."

"Oh gee, thanks," Arthur muttered.

Another guard raised an arrow towards Arthur's nose.

"WAIT!" Link snapped the second he noticed the muscles of the archer tighten. It wasn't a story book anymore. He didn't need for the arrow to be released to understand that. The girl smiled and held up a hand. The archer lowered his bow.

"Fine. I'll wait. I'll wait until you've heard all of your options, not really fair otherwise is it?"

Link allowed his eyes to wander away from his enemy and towards the other dark souls and guards that were sprawled around the area. He looked at their faces.

"Looking for someone?" she asked with a crooked smile. "He's downstairs, if you're wondering."

Link swallowed, his dry throat walls rubbing together in discomfort. "He can't fight his own battles? Why doesn't he come upstairs and face me himself?"

"Is that what you really want?"

He couldn't help but drop his eyes.

"Yeah that's what I thought. He's a little preoccupied right now, give it a minute. But for now, if you want your friends to live you have to walk."

_Walk?_

Her violet eyes veered off towards the ocean covered in ice, where he suddenly could see that subtle transition between snow and ice which was nonexistent to him before. Link wondered if she was planning on him knowing that was indeed a frozen body of water. He wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Saria-

"Don't do it Link!" Arthur spat. "You'll drown! The bitch knows it!"

Or for that.

His enemy glanced at Arthur, then back at Link and asked, her head ticking in his companion's direction, "How did that one make it this far?"

Link didn't give a response however Arthur felt her question deserved one.

"Even with this knife to my throat I'll still live longer than you, you damned wench!"

His enemy shot him an odd look of warning, like someone they were close friends and the threat was empty. "Shh-I'll kill you anyway!

Like I was saying," she said calmly to Link. "just walk that way and I'll let them go. Unless you wish to witness another innocent human die. It's simple, really…..It's _so_ simple. Just walk! Just walk, hero!"

Link just stood there. His mind went numb, like his toes and fingers. He was holding his sword handle so limply, he was about to drop it. The wind breached right through every stitch in his clothing. That braggart wind was still taunting him.

"Either way you won't let them go," he muttered.

"What?"

"You won't let them go."

"Probably not," she breathed. "And, even if I do spare their life, they may fall into the hands of Sinal."

"That's a fate worse than death."

"True. Death is the better of the two. But, there's is that other option, where they go free, really free. I know you know that I might not let them go, truly let them go, if you do drown yourself…"

_Drown yourself._

"But, there is a chance. And that is why you'll do this…" she squinted her eyes and approached him. That familiar playful yet threatening gleam twinkled in her gaze, but this time, there was a shine of intuitiveness that he had never seen before in anyone. "You're going to do this," she kept walking until she was inches from his face. He didn't show much of a reaction; he knew she wasn't done with her little speech, he knew she wouldn't hurt him, not without having her fair share of fun, and by this point, he was used to it. "You know why?"

He couldn't not stare back at her. It was incredible, this look in her eye. It was as if she knew him inside and out, his origins, his childhood, his weaknesses and strengths. And she knew he had this odd urge to respond. So he asked in a bitter voice, "Why?"

"You're gonna do this because you know there's this little, tiny, ounce of hope that they will go free, or have a chance to be free and live. Because of my word, my tainted word, you will take that chance. It's better than watching them die and playing it 'safe'. You would never be able to live with yourself otherwise. If you spare your own life and watch them die, you will always know about that chance, about that alternative future, where they would be alive and well. You will always wonder and you will always feel responsible, no matter how unwise it would have been to give up your own, precious, legendary life. And you'll end up killing yourself anyway."

Link tried to not show that he believed her but he couldn't help feeling that she already knew she had gotten to him.

"When it comes down to it, hero, you can either be wise or brave. But you can't be both. It doesn't work that way. You can't have both," her calm voice began to escalate to a screech. She had provoked herself. "You can't! Choose! You can either be an idiot and be brave and kill yourself OR you can be wise and let your useless friends die and then go off on your wonderful journey. YOU CAN'T BE BOTH! PICK ONE! BE AN IDIOT OR A COWARD!"

He wasn't fazed by her elevated voice. Instead he turned towards the ocean.

"Link! Don't be a moron!" Arthur cried.

"Link," Saria croaked, straining her neck upwards to avoid the sting of the blade. "…Don't. If you die, millions will follow."

"My mind doesn't work like that," he murmured. "Not yet."

So, with that stroke of logic, he began to walk.

"Hurry up, Ben."

Link turned to see a corrupt smile spread across his enemy's face. That intuitive shine was brighter than it was before, it was blinding.

He ignored his companions cries. For some reason, he wasn't as afraid as he should be and he knew that. As he felt the level of snow drop down to the ice under his feet he almost tried to convince himself to be more afraid. He tried to prepare himself for how cold the water would be, how it would feel to drown. But it didn't dawn on him, even when he heard the ice creak and moan under his feet.

His enemy moaned as well. "Try to go a little faster. Just a little if you can manage."

He took another step, and another, and another, until he was a good deal out onto the ice, where the water was deep enough to drown and the ice was getting thinner. Another step, another crack. The wind howled again and he gritted his teeth in annoyance. He would pull it down with him if he could.

He decided to look down at the cracks, thinking that would make him realize what he was doing. But still, nothing.

He must have been paralyzed. He couldn't feel anything.

One crack turned in hundreds with a loud creak. He turned slightly to look at his companions once more but he couldn't make out their faces. He wished he could see them. He wanted to see them once more. What was the point, he wondered, of sparing his life for them when he would never see them again?

He didn't get to see their faces. His body shot downwards and disappeared under the depths. There wasn't even a splash.

"LINK!" Saria cried and lunched her body forward, no longer concerned that the knife would cut her by her own means.

Arthur didn't show a visible response. He just stared out towards the spot where Link used to be.

He also looked towards the back of his enemy's head, which seemed dead still for a moment, until she heaved in a breath and turned. "Well, that's over and done with. Give me," she said to a guard close by with her palm outstretched. He handed her his knife as she approached Arthur. "Hold that bastard still."


	43. Chapter 43: Colored Blood

_**Hey guys, hella long time no see. So I feel like ATL's been through a rough patch lately, maybe it was that damn chapter 40 or the fact that I lost a follower. But you guys have still been solid with reviews and support. I do love this chapter though. Short, but plot wise one of my favs. I hope you guys like it as much as me and sorry for taking so long with such a short chapter!**_

Chapter 43: Colored Blood

The last thing Link saw before he died was this deep, intense blue that seemed to go on forever. He thought about his muscles and how they froze instantly instead of him being able to thrash and jerk for a brief moment like he had previously believed. He thought about how wrong he was.

This was now the second time he has faced death by drowning, and as he sunk down, that fact dawned on him and he thought it was wild. In different circumstances, he would be smiling, at least a little, bittersweet one.

His lungs have now begun to cramp, although it felt more like they were being crushed. They were elastic containers being pressed and were waiting to expand freely again. But he couldn't open his mouth and let them so, so he had to bear through it until the pain would go away.

He was distraught not so much due to his fate lying before him, it was more the pain of dying he dreaded. He was living in the moment in his last moment, he didn't think much of what happened after death became him. He didn't have time to go into it and he decided that it didn't matter how much he wondered or planned, whatever was waiting for him would be there either way. Thinking about it wouldn't change its level of existence.

His life did not flash before his eyes, but he thought of it anyway to distract him from dying. He thought of his childhood first, starting at the beginning, then his mother and her death, and he thought about joining her if there was such a place to do so, which gave him the tiniest spark of happiness. He then thought about his other childhood, the years he spent with his uncle. He considered that a different stage in his life, one he didn't want to waste his moments thinking about. So he breezed over his uncle and thought about his ranch and his workers, which he realized didn't matter to him. None of them, even Richard, deserved to take up the precious space of thought he had left.

He wished death would come quicker, he didn't want to be depressed when he died. He didn't want to regret his life or be bored by it. And alas, his misery was spared when he felt his vision fail him and his heart slow. He closed his eyes for a moment that melted into nothing.

* * *

><p>They all stared out across the horizon, following his enemy's gaze.<p>

He stood there as an obscure yet bold figure. He was hunched at first, frozen, then straightened himself with a cool breath, tiny ice crystals breaking apart and off of his clothing. There was something fierce about this moment, like he was a dragon that was awakening from a long sleep. His eyes, although the only color on him that came close to matching his surroundings, shined brilliant. He carried an impressive, dignified scowl. He had never expressed something like this before and for a moment, he didn't look like himself. He didn't feel like himself either. He didn't feel anything.

No one on land said anything at this time. They just stared out towards him in an awed, thick silence. They were waiting for something to happen, for someone to move, for him to move. So they just stared.

It was silent, until, of course, Arthur pointed a finger at his temple, flashed a bright smile, and chirped, "There's theme music playing in my head right now."

Link drew his sword.

His enemy suddenly inhaled and stepped out towards the edge of the ocean. "What are you, a fucking cockroach?!"

He started to walk. Some of the dark guards backed up and reached for a weapon, especially when they noticed the intense glow behind Link's glove, but she wasn't done yelling. To her, anger seemed to be a priority over fear.

Arthur and Saria shared a glance as the hero drew near. The happiness that once emanated from Saria had morphed into uncertainty. The excitement that Arthur had once expressed was now awkwardness.

'Is he really alive?' Saria mouthed to Arthur.

He stared back with wide eyes in response. He didn't know. And he didn't know why Saria would think he would know.

The wind blew back his enemy's thin night gown in violent waves as she screamed into it. "Let us roll out the carpet, start the trumpets for the grand fucking hero! Your majesty rises from the dead!"

The hero kept walking like that was the only thing he knew. A few dark souls spat profanities and threatened to charge out towards him, but his enemy held out an arm to keep them back.

The other dark souls hung back and muttered sad monologues to themselves or to an invisible friend. "My wife is inside," one said casually in the voice of a young man. It was talking to Saria. She turned her head and looked at it. It stared back and said, "She'll be out in a moment." Saria wasn't sure who she should keep an eye on, the insane monster or the walking corpse.

His enemy was still screeching over the dark souls. "There's no way you could have survived that! Why do you get a second chance?! Cuz you're the good one?!" Her face was red.

Link's pace had quickened. The guards had fully released Saria and Arthur at this point and began to reach for their weapons. Why they were so afraid of Link now rather than before was beyond the sane.

His enemy stared out at him as he approached with a now collected disposition. The red color had drained from her now pale face. Her eyes were squinted slightly as if she was trying to judge her and his next move. He was running now.

"Should I be worried?" she suddenly asked as he got closer.

It was impossible to know who she was talking to which made her subordinates anxious. But, even without an answer, she began to back up anyway until she had a sturdy layer of dark soul in front of her.

Link reached the crowd sooner than anyone had thought he would. It was like he came out of nowhere, even though they had watched him approach.

Three dark souls were murdered. Then four. Five. Black blood erupted out of each one in geysers and spilled out onto the snow in sheets.

The dark guards, even though twice as intelligent and skilled, were killed just as easily. They would block one blow but seconds later received a fatal one. One of their necks was brutally twisted in a swift jerk moment.

Those who were sane enough to understand were amazed by this spectacle, those who were enemies were also threatened by it. They began to retreat but that wasn't enough. Link was slaughtering them, he wouldn't let any of them run away. He actually grabbed their armor, their horns, tails, skin, anything he could get his hands on, and yanked them back to him just so he could kill them.

The dark souls screeched and cried out, throwing out their weapons and limbs in any way they could manage. It was impossible for Link not to get harmed, yet he carried on like his enemies didn't even scratch him. He didn't bleed although blades drew across and into his skin.

Arthur had his hand on Saria's side, keeping her behind him on some crude, masculine instinct, and kept his own weapon in his grip. He was both impressed and suspicious. Even though Link was clearly avoiding them, he was so violent Arthur half believed he and Saria would be killed if they got in his way.

Link alone was an army fighting against another. Incredibly outnumbered yet winning the battle easily. He was an excellent swordsman in this moment, as if he was training from the day he was born with the finest mentor in the world. The dark souls violent, psychotic nature dissolved into cowardliness and panic as they fled.

Link paused as he found himself alone in a circle of dead bodies and allowed his icy blue eyes to sweep the horizon calmly, land momentarily on his companions then lock on his enemy, who stood a distance away, motionless. Dark souls barreled toward her in swarms but swerved around her at the last moment, leaving her to stare through the spaces in their bodies towards Link.

He stared back indifferently for a moment then found the anger that once fueled him. _How dare you, _his scowl seemed to say. Her stolid expression suddenly turned into heartache and she glanced to the side, towards the pedestal. She dashed to the side and lifted an abandoned weapon off the floor, a large, hammer like one that carried an immense amount of weight and power. He braced himself, believing she would attack him, but found himself lost in confusion as she made her way towards the pedestal instead. In a desperate frenzy, she swung it towards the structure in attempts to destroy it.

"_NO_!" Arthur suddenly cried and stepped forward."Stop her!"

It was too late, the pedestal had already shattered into large chunks of dark stone. The remaining dark souls cried out in sheer confusion and agony. If Link hadn't scared them away, this was enough to send the leftovers running. She dropped the weapon and looked up at Link.

She held her ground impressively as he approached her, like she was proud of what she had done. But, when he was only a short distance from her, she turned on a dime to bolt and follow her retreating soldiers in fear. But she flinched backwards violently. Link was gripping her tail like she was an animal.

"My name isn't Ben," he growled beneath his breath.

Frantically yet accurately she swiped a knife from the inside of her leg, obviously lying about being unarmed, turned, and cut her own tail clean up from the base. She showed no sign of pain except for a gentle grunt.

Link then did what anyone would do, he immediately dropped the dismembered body part as if it were a squirming rodent and flinched back in disgust. Bright red blood poured out from the tail's base as his enemy scrambled away.

She found herself lost in the snow, unable to truly escape, and turned with a heartbroken expression. He stepped forward to follow her, but paused when he felt his own blood dampen his tunic. He placed a hand over his stomach and removed it to find it tainted with red.

When he looked back up, she had two immense black wings spread out behind her. They clashed with her skin tone. They were foreign, attached, not hers. She did not have them the previous times Link had faced her. Arthur and Saria had seen these monstrosities folded up against her back when she had stared out across the horizon but didn't take note of it, thinking that it was normal for these beasts to be winged. Link noticed though and would have if he had seen them before this moment. Blood trickled her legs and back and tears welled up in her eyes.

She clumsily beat her wings and lifted herself into the air. If it wasn't for a passing dark soul that she latched herself onto, she wouldn't have been able to gain enough air to take flight.

Link was in pain now. He looked towards his companions for aid but found one in distraught. Arthur was on his knees before the stone rumbled.

"BITCH!" he hollered after his enemy in the sky. "Do you realize what you've done?!"

"What is it?" Saria asked him gently.

"Without the lock the prison can't open. Not even from the inside. All of those people in there are trapped." He picked up a small stone.

Link was down to his knees. The wounds that were nonexistent before suddenly made themselves very, very evident. His face was drained of any color.

Saria had abandoned Arthur's side for Link's. She stared in horror as blood poured out from multiple sources. "Arthur, he's dying. Help me."

Arthur stared at the stone intently and muttered, "What a terrible way to die."

"Arthur! He's dying. You need to help me now. We need to get him out of here."

He stared at the sealed up crack in the earth, not wanting to leave it.

"You need to understand," she croaked to him after a minute. "Those few souls are nothing compared-…Arthur, he can't die."

He looked over his shoulder at Link with a stone cold expression that was on the border line of hatred and stood up. "Yes, I know," he muttered as he lifted Link up and allowed his weight to fall on his shoulders.

As his companions carried him away, Link glanced at his enemy's tail once more and studied the pattern the blood left behind in the snow.

It was the last thing he saw before his vision gave out.

In regards to Arthur's question, his enemy was fully aware of what she had done. But there was only one twisted soul beneath the snow that she intended to trap forever.

Arthur and Saria carried Link to the horses which carried them to grass and stone, away from the thick layers of snow. Once they did so, they came across a regiment of Hylian troops led by the same commander who escorted them through the castle prison. They were clearly heading towards the mountains and were fully prepared to go into battle. Before their leader could utter a single word, Arthur and Saria passed right by them. Arthur whipped his head towards the commander and spat,

"And she said _we_ were late! If only you guys came literally 30 minutes earlier!"

**Did you guys like that 'theme music' line? That's my fav one from Arthur so far. Let me know what you guys think. R and R and all that please! Shout out to rage, K'ger, Random, Moonlight, Ariana and all my other loyal reviewers!**

**Songs:**

**Link: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons**

**Her (very accurate): It's Only by Odeza (please look this one up one of my favorites)**

**and Disturbia by Rhianna (i mean come on that's a given and if I spelled the artist's name wrong i'm sorry but im pretty sure we all know who she is despite my misspelling.)**

**Arthur (very accurate): Free Falling by Tom Petty **


	44. Chapter 44: Beady Little Eyes

_"Do you ever think about where you'll be in 10 years or so?"_

_"No, not really."_

_"Try to, for my amusement. Try to imagine your life when all this is over."_

_"…Oh my god."_

_"What?"_

_"Oh my gods, oh no, this is going to be a memory! This will all be a __**memory**__!"_

_"Why is that so terrible?"_

_"Because! It will be something I'll look back upon and think about and-….."_

_"I still don't get how that's worse than it happening right now."_

_"Cuz at least now it's in the moment, it's exciting, I'm not really thinking but later it'll just be….depressing. Oh, I'm going to be__** forty **__and remembering this as a fucked up forty year old!"_

_"…maybe you'll die."_

_"Yeah, maybe. Man, wouldn't that be nice?"_

* * *

><p>The trees are dying. They've been sick for a while. Their bark is peeling off like old paint. It's peeling quickly, one after the other like time is being sped up. I think they would be crying if they could. Or weeping. There's a big difference. I think they would be weeping since this is a slow, peaceful death. They are wise and have lived a long life. They wouldn't be crying hysterically like their loved ones. They would be dignified and sad, but they would have accepted it at this point. A single tear would fall down their tree cheek and they would smile softly as they say goodbye.<p>

The birds are not respecting this death. They are fighting very loudly. A pair of them, a couple, are arguing about money and their children. I tell them to be quite. They fly away. Cowards.

My ass hurts. Well, the area right above it hurts. I probably should have wrapped it with something or did something along those lines. But no, I just found a spot against a tree and decided to sit on it. I didn't really have a ton of options. I shouldn't be sitting here either but I'm tired.

My blade is so bright. There aren't a lot of things in this world you can relate the color of blood to. Not this blood anyway. The other color is that of a deep, ripe cherry. Not red cherries that you see in paintings, the real cherries that look like wine. And not the juice of those cherries that comes out red. The actual cherry itself. The flesh and skin. Yeah, that color.

But this blood…I don't know what I could compare it to. Maybe the juice of those cherries. That red juice. Or maybe the wings of a red winged black bird. Or maybe the color of the blood that came out of his gut and his arm and…..Or maybe a flower. But no natural flower is this type of red. A rose maybe. I forgot about the rose. Funny how the rose is so loved yet it is the only flower that comes close to the color of blood.

Maybe if I see it again I can think of it. But I don't think I can cut myself easily and I don't think it will come out rose colored again. It will come out cherry colored like it always does.

I was wrong. My skin cuts easily. Like his. That can't be good. Maybe I'm sick. And the blood is rose colored.

That's not good. I'm sitting in it. My ass is sitting in a pool of it. And I'm crying. Not weeping.

* * *

><p>Link woke up chocking on air. He hadn't been able to wake up peacefully in days, each time his eyes would shoot open with dilated pupils the size of poppy seeds. Those poppy seeds always needed an extra minute to tell his brain where he was.<p>

This time, the moment the wooden pattern of the ceiling above him came into focus, he believed he was back in his home, back in Castle Town. But his poppy seeds deceived him.

In fact he didn't know where he was, the fire pit to his side surprisingly gave him more comfort than one would believe. There's no fire places in jail cells.

But that fire soon lost its sense of comfort; he became certain that it was reaching out and scratching him, scratching him on his arms, legs, and stomach.

He let out a whimper at first, then, with clenched fists, a wail. He reached for his stomach, towards the pain, but quickly halted his hand midair when he realized an inflamed wound laid beneath it. His fingers shook. The stitches were red and uneven, not like the stitches Saria had given him back in Kiorki. These were sloppy, rushed and callous. No wonder they hurt so terribly.

Even worse than the pain or the stitches was the fact that, to his horror, his glove was missing on his right hand. He flattened out his pale hand to see his mark dark and defined.

"S-Saria? Saria!" he cried out and squirmed slightly, like a baby doing so in a crib. As he moved, he felt he was surrounded by rags and cloths, swaddled almost.

A stranger came into the room. He couldn't see him/her from where he was lying. "Hello? Bring me my friends!" he demanded like a king. "Where are they?"

No response.

"Hello? Answer me. I'm in pain."

The stranger let out a sharp, short hush. He couldn't be sure, however in his 18 years of life he has come to recognize the distinct sharpness to a woman's voice when she is shushing another.

"Please!" he wailed as another was of pain flushed his gut. _Fucking pay attention to me!_

"Shhh!"

"No you SHH!" he growled, twisting his neck to scowl towards his visitor, who indeed was an elderly, shrunken up woman. "Get me my friend then I'll SHH!"

She left.

"Wait!" he hollered. He let out a frustrated grunt after he was alone for a moment. The silence bothered him, like an extremely loud nat in his ear. He understood he was being immature, but honestly, he also felt like he deserved to act like such. He didn't know where he was, how long he had been asleep and the pain was so intense he couldn't wait around for someone to stroll in and notice him.

So, after breathing heavily on the ground for a few pitiful moments, he got up and began to search for help on his own.

It was a disaster. He was actually glad no one was there to see it. He broke…something. A vase or a decoration. He didn't feel quilt so much as embarrassment. He couldn't walk right, something was wrong with his legs. And there was also the pain.

His vision was beginning to blur and his head began to buzz with heat, his body was begging him to listen. His eyes felt swollen, like they were about to pop out of his skull, he was scared if he blinked he would push them out himself. He decided he was either drugged or dreaming, this couldn't all be physical.

He found a door and opened it. Light stepped inside and made itself at home. After his eyes painfully adjusted, he saw he was standing in front of an army, a literal army. The Hylian army to be exact.

So he stood there in a doorway of an old hut, illuminated by midday sun. He didn't even notice the fantastic view of the mountains in the landscape he was so lost in a pain and confusion filled daze. A harsh chill stung the exposed skin of his torso.

They weren't paying attention to him, the soldiers. Not at first. They were training and moving about. It didn't really look like they had anything to do, nothing dire. Not until they had the absolute necessary task of turning their heads and staring at him.

He stared back. "Uh-"

"You're awake?!"

Saria appeared from the side, from nowhere, and put her hands on him. He flinched like she was a stranger and she turned him around like he was blindfolded.

Big wrinkles appeared on his side as he turned to look behind him and behind her at the large body of warriors who were still staring intently.

"Why is the Hylian army outside?"

"I'll explain later. Get inside."

"It hurts," he whimpered.

"I know, come here."

"Where am I?"

"Shhhh."

She laid him down back in front of the fire. He didn't want to be in the same spot in the rags he had been, it was more than the hard floor that made it extremely uncomfortable. It was warm and it felt as if there was a depression in the floor the shape of his body ready to accept him. In his state of defiance nothing would make him more uncomfortable than that, he preferred a firm mattress not once than one that swallowed him up in fabric. He kept semi-upright, resisting her palm on his chest.

"It hurts!"

"I know. I'm sorry, you're going to have to bear it for now."

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"That's what happens when you get stabbed."

He didn't like her tone. "I was stabbed before! By that bitch back in the forest temple! Why didn't it hurt as much then?!"

She took a breath to collect herself. "That big stitch on you stomach is actually the same wound, it re-opened. I didn't hurt then because I used pain mediation…a lot of pain medication. You were almost numb. You're not really supposed to use that much but I was scared about how you would feel when you woke up and-"

"I don't care. Give me the medication anyway."

"I don't have any more."

He let out a whimper and let his head drop to the floor with a thud.

"I can try to get you some herbal remedies here."

"Where is here?"

"Roa-….Oh, shoot. I've forgotten the name but we're just outside the mountains in a small village. It's a miracle we found it. You would've-…try to get some rest." She began to inch away from him, getting ready to leave his side.

"Where's my glove?"

"I have it. It's safe. Try to get some rest."

"I'm not tired."

Saria made her eyes wide for a quick moment, shoved the corner of her mouth into her cheek, any gave a strong inhale, like she was giving a silent innuendo to a friend. "I know you're tired but you can't walk around either."

"I can't just lie here alone in pain!"

"I can stay here if you'd like."

He let out a huff of air in no response to anything in particular.

Saria stared at him a while then said, "I can give you something, actually, to make you feel better."

After rummaging around what he believed was a kitchen of sorts, she returned with a small pill. She handed it to him with a canteen of water.

"Take this."

"What is it?" he took it before she answered him.

"It'll make you feel better."

"It's pain medication?"

"No. It's a sleeping pill."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Link," she said as she began to get up. He almost reached out and grabbed her ankle but luckily he was still collected enough to not do so. "I'll be here when you wake up. You need to rest."

When she was gone, he snapped her name after her in anger but it didn't matter, for as frustrated and restless as he was, he was asleep in seconds.

* * *

><p>"It's been a week or so."<p>

"Could you be more precise?"

"Since we were at the castle it's been a week and a half. Almost two weeks maybe."

"You didn't see her?"

"If we did we would've told you."

"And you didn't see, er,..?"

"Sinal? Relax, saying his name won't conjure him up. No we didn't."

"Was he there?"

"I just said we didn't see him. You're the best they got, huh?"

"Arthur…"

"Oh calm yourself, Saria. No authorities in the room."

"I'm just following protocol, sir."

"There's a protocol for this? You guys are more prepared than I thought. And don't call me sir. You're older than me. I'm not planning on being called sir until I'm at least thirty."

Link let out a gentle groan.

"Oh my gods his majesty is awake," Arthur gushed sarcastically from the table a few feet away from Link's spot on the floor. "Finally. This guy literally sleeps for two days."

A young soldier was with them, jotting things down on an official looking collection of papers. He turned his head to look down at Link, not even sparing a smile. "Is this him?"

"Yeah," Link breathed. "Who are you?"

The soldier seemed taken aback for a moment, then turned back to his paper work without another word.

"Did you see…?"

The three of them continued their interview as if Link wasn't there. He stared at Saria until she noticed him and waited until her eyes soften with sympathy. She excused herself so quietly that they couldn't possibly have heard her, but that didn't seem to matter, and bent down to Link's side.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not as much…You drugged me," he muttered.

She smiled slightly and apologized, moving a sweat-drenched tuff of hair off his forehead.

"Who is that?" he began to sit up, but Saria subtly pushed him back down.

"Try not to stretch those stitches too much. You broke them open the first time and I just finished redoing them. And that soldier's just asking us some questions about what happened."

Link attempted to look past Saria in interest of what they were saying, but she purposely moved in his way. "Try not to worry about that. It's not that important. Just lie here for now and I'll bring you something to eat in a bit."

Before he could protest, she stood up and returned to her spot at the table, leaving him lying by their feet like a dog.

He then heard loud footsteps behind him approaching. All three parties of the table looked up, even the solider stood up as an act of respect. Then the loud footsteps stopped, demanding more attention than before. Link, lying flat on the ground, arched his neck and rolled his eyes back to look, his strained eyes seeing the feet first then working themselves up a stiff, erect body to a long, masculine face with tiny, beady little eyes. The commander.

Link let his neck relax with a slight eye roll and a grunt of discontent. _Great._

As if he was trying to make Link feel more insignificant, the commander went as far as to step over him, giving him a nice view of his groin while doing so, and continued towards the table, leaving Link with an annoyed grimace.

"Any progress?"

"Yes. Well, not really, some progress, sir."

"Let me rephrase that. Anything _new?"_

"Well, I'm very interested who this female is they keep addressing. But they have yet to supply a name."

"We don't know her name," Arthur said. "I don't know if she has one."

"Link," Saria asked softly. "Did she have a name? That girl?"

"Not that I know of," Link huffed at the ceiling.

"This girl," the commander began. "Was she a dark soul?"

Link impulsively began to sit up, reading himself for a difficult explanation. "Not exactly, she-"

"You probably shouldn't strain yourself," the commander interrupted.

"What, you're a doctor now?"

The commander lifted an eyebrow at his crudeness and looked towards Saria. Eyes on Link she awkwardly said,

"I'm sorry, lately he's been a little…" she was struggling to conjure up the words, naturally leaving it up to Arthur to fill in.

"If he was a woman there'd be blood between his legs."

When all heads turned to look at him, Arthur looked up with wide eyes and half sarcastically asked, "Oh, did I say that out loud?"

The commander stared at Arthur for a moment then back at Link. "Continue."

Link propped himself up on one elbow, ignoring the flush of pain in his side, and said, "She's not a dark soul. Her skin is smooth not rough or bruised or damaged. And her face is normal, her features are where they should be and perfectly intact. She has wings now, apparently, and a tail so she's not human."

The commander nodded and began to turn his attention away, but Link was not finished.

"And she's too smart to be a dark soul. She's like Sinal, in a way. She speaks normal sentences and is able to plan rather than just barbarically attack."

"She's like Sinal?" the commander asked, obviously the mention of his name being the only thing that caught his attention. "Is she a threat?"

"W-yeah. I'd think so."

"Would she know where Sinal is?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Probably not and I'd doubt she'd tell you. She's rather difficult and I don't think she'd be quick to betrayal Sinal."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No, and I don't believe she would be found easily and I don't think she'd be much use to you anyway."

"…This is no situation to pick favorites."

"W-…Wait, what?"

The commander turned without a response and said, "I think it'd be best to continue this another time when the hero is in better condition and can give us the answers we need. For now, let him recovery and we shall continue to plan out what to do next."

He then excused himself and left, the heels of his boots inches away from Link's face. The soldier rushed to follow him, leaving Saria, Arthur and Link alone. It was silent for a moment, before Link asked,

"Did you tell them where Sinal was?"

"We don't know where Sinal is."

"Yes we do. He's underground."

"W-"

"No he's not," Arthur interrupted.

Saria looked at him for an explanation.

"Well, he is," Arthur began. "He is, but, he's not. He's definitely not. Especially by the time they- There's no point in telling them. He's _not _underground."

Link frowned up at the ceiling.

In the next hour or so, he thought over what the commander had said to him as Saria brought him food, which he refused to eat at first, and finally lied in silence.

* * *

><p>Link, his abdomen tightly wrapped with white cloth, walked alone across the village of Roanaka with an awing view of a blue mountain to his side.<p>

He wasn't sure where he was going or what he was looking for, but he couldn't be in that room anymore, not with that fire place and those rags. He had become so hot there that the harsh northern air didn't bother him much. He lifted a hand and felt the worn out leather of his glove on his right hand, making sure it was still there after he and to retrieve it back from Saria.

And he needed to find his boots. They were missing from his feet and from the room when he woke up and of course sweet Saria had no idea where they were.

So he was walking around barefoot and barely clothed, but that wasn't the reason the villagers were staring.

"Link!"

He stopped and turned to see Saria bounding up to him. "I'm not going back inside."

"No, you don't have to. I came to talk to you."

"About?"

"Well, I wanted to check up on how you were feeling. I mean what happened was….scary."

"I know."

"Link, I want to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."

"W-well, it's not really something I can control."

"No, I mean…Link, I don't want you doing something that stupid again."

"Wait, what was this stupid thing I did?"

"Giving your life for us, that was really not smart."

"W-"

"Let me talk."

He silenced and looked ahead, not positive he would actually listen to her or not.

"Going out onto that ice was stupid, Link, gods it was so stupid of you. You can't do that ever again."

He furrowed his brow. "I doubt something like that will happen again."

"You know what I mean."

He shrugged and dropped his eyes to his bare feet.

"Seriously, Link," she stepped in front of his path, forcing him to stop. "I don't want you risking your life for me, or Arthur or anyone else ever again. You're life is too important and I know you don't understand that yet but that doesn't matter. Arthur and I knew what we were giving up to come with you, we knew the risks and we are willing to accept the consequences. You can't do that again, ever. Do you understand?"

He looked away from her eyes towards the single, giant blue mountain not too far in the distance in silent tenacity. What kind of hero would that make him, then, if he valued his life more than those around him?

"Link, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

Just because he understood what she was saying did not mean he had to obey to her, or at least that's what he told himself.

Saria then went off about how he was underdressed and how he must have been absolutely freezing. She gave him her poncho despite his resistance and began to walk him back to the hut he had been in before, ready to set him down for rest once again.

Before they could reach the hut, however, the two of them ran into the commander, and Link thought to himself that it must be physically impossible for someone to stand that straight that often.

"I am glad I've found you," the commander began, his eyes quickly glancing at Link's bare feet and back up to his eyes in a pretentious scan. "Now that you've had some time to recover, I think it's time to consider what I've been discussing with your friend here."

Link turned to Saria, who, shifting her eyes awkwardly from the commander to him, said, "W-well we'd think it'd be….beneficial to use this time to your advantage. Your body still needs to rest before you can move out again to the Fire Temple and-"

"Pardon me," the commander said in interruption and turned to Link. "I was under the impression that you've completed the three temples by this point in time."

"I haven't."

"So you do not have the sword yet?"

"No."

The commander, obviously longing to further probe Link, reluctantly turned back to Saria and sighed, "Continue."

"Yes, well we were thinking now that you're just lying around here maybe you should take the time to read the legend yourself."

Link blinked a few times, thinking he had misheard her. "Read the legend?"

"You might as well, right?"

"Well," he huffed. "Even if I read voraciously for the next couple of days I wouldn't finish it! It's 600 pages!"

"554," the commander corrected, followed by an icy glare from Link.

"You don't have to finish it," Saria insisted. "But reading a little bit of it is better than not reading it at all."

"I don't think so. The legend hasn't helped that much thus far, and the little portion of it that I would be able to read in the meantime won't help much in the future."

"I disagree," the commander said tersely and nothing else, yet that seemed like a very powerful argument in his position.

"I'm sorry," Link said with a lift of his shoulder which was subtle yet so stubborn. "I just don't think the things in that book that happened years ago will help me with what's happening now."

"That '_book' _," the commander began sternly. "Is filled with vital information and is the history of this land. It is an obligation to-…" he paused, then, with a more relaxed disposition and eyes set on Link, said, "I apologize, I'm being rude, I've completely disregarded the large possibility that you are illiterate."

Link's body stayed still, but his eyes, hands and teeth lost it. In a wild fury, his eyes widened, his hands clenched into tight fists that almost shook, and his teeth grinder together loudly creating an uncomfortable din behind his lips. There was a small, tension filled pause in the argument, Saria anxiously ready to step in if Link went with his instinct and attacked the cretan in front of him.

Holding back fury, Link growled in a taut voice, "I can read."

The commander then strolled away saying, "Then I suggest you get started."

* * *

><p>Link sat in the kitchen with the monstrous book in front of him which was so thick it was a marvel it could be bound together so tight.<p>

He was alone in the room, thankfully, as nighttime fell with a dimly lit candle by his side that only lit his face and the pages.

He opened up to the first page of context and saw a daunting page full of tiny text before him.

_The history of our world and our legend is complex yet astonishing, amassed by various tales of the past and the inception of time itself. This grand land has been bestowed upon us by the deific forces above and around us, and it has been our obligation to protect it from the malevolent forces that wish to consume it ever since._

Link sighed, ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "_Shit_."


	45. Chapter 45: Ineptitude

**_Chapter 45: Ineptitude_**

_"Funny, you don't strike me as someone who'd be afraid of snakes."_

_"First of all, asshole, they're not just snakes, they're black mambas, second: we can't all be fearless like you, and third: I'm not even afraid of the dumb snakes, I'm afraid of dying from them."_

_"I'm not fearless, you know that by now. Bravery and fearlessness are two very different things."_

_"They're similar though, just like arrogance and pretentiousness."_

_"You're scared you're gonna die, is that it?"_

_"Stop jumping to conclusions. I never said that. I'm not afraid of death, but I am afraid of dying from a snake bite. I afraid that my moment of death will be taken away from something as small and insignificant as a snake. Gods, what a pitiful way to die, what a stupid way to die….from a snake bite. It'd be so random and-…I'd rather be painfully torn apart by a dragon and eaten alive, burned at the stake, or hung in front of a crowd than be peacefully killed from a snake bite._

_When I die, it's needs to be this catastrophic disaster that gets the job done, a plague or a horrific tragedy that nothing could stop. My death should and will be a glorious event. Nothing less."_

_"….."_

_"Do you think I'm odd?"_

_"A little."_

_"Good. At least odd is interesting. Your life may be exciting, hero, but you as an individual are not that interesting."_

_"That makes sense."_

_"Well, that's rather ironic, me being the one who makes sense."_

* * *

><p>Link had fallen asleep on top of the legend, his drool clinging to the ancient paper like dried glue. He had a stressful dream, when the mind continues to race and solve problems that are either nonexistent or insignificant. His mind was strained so much it was a wonder how he fell asleep in the first place. He cursed the grandiloquent text.<p>

He still couldn't decide whether he should have simply gotten up and asked Saria, or even worse, Arthur. But he knew his pride wouldn't stand for it anyway.

When he discovered the sticky remains of his saliva, he considered how terrible it would be if he had smudged the ink or one of the water colored paintings. He wondered how many copies of this horrid book existed and the flames that would consume every flowery word on every page. It would be gone, and to the next generation, he would just be a young man and nothing else.

It was a terrible way to think of it.

"Good morning," a gentle voice said.

"Hi Saria."

"Are you alright?"

"…Fine."

She accepted that half-ass answer and began to prepare morning tea, asking Link if he'd like some to wake himself up. He didn't want to wake up. He said yes.

"How are you feeling? Your wound I mean?"

"Better. It still hurts but I can move around."

The two ceramic mugs made love and released a ringing chime. As he watched the young woman prepare the tea like an aid who cared for another, he felt the words eating him alive, like parasites. He didn't necessarily care about what the words or the sentences meant, he was irked by the text's audacity to confuse him. He didn't think it was necessary to make the legend a difficult read, considering it was meant for all ears.

"What does calomity mean?"

He massacred the word.

Saria twitched her eyebrows as she handed him his mug, "Calomity? You mean _calamity_? Calamity is something terrible, like a tragedy or a disaster."

He nodded weakly and watched the grey steam dance out of his tea. It swung its hips so forcefully they broke off its torso.

"…Eternal?"

"What?"

"Eternal."

"W-….Oh, you don't know what eternal means?"

He looked back down at the tiny dancer and discovered its face had been morphed and replaced with another.

He didn't see this, but Saria had gaped her mouth open for a moment, attempting to apologize, but failed. "E-eternal means it's ongoing, lasts forever."

"What about gallant?"

"Gallant's what you are."

He rested his head in his hand. "Stupid?"

"Brave. You're not stupid."

"Just uneducated."

Saria decided the colors of her tea leaves were far more intriguing then the conversation and made sure to count every single rebellious flake. She ignored the dancer and stared straight through its chest.

Arthur walked in through the front door wearing the same thing he was last night. Link closed the legend and took note of his saliva being pressed into the fibers of the page.

"Where were you last night?" Saria asked the vagabond.

"It'd be rather vulgar of me to share the details."

Link felt Arthur's long-fingered hands slam onto his shoulders.

"_Good morning!_" he growled playfully and shook him like a baby's rattle.

Link moaned as his brain bumped against the walls of his skull. "How you have so much energy all the time is beyond me."

"Caffeine. But that wasn't the only thing that 'woke me up'."

"Stop," Saria pleaded. "I thought you didn't want to be vulgar."

"If you guessed any details of crudeness by that slight hint then you have the dirty mind, not me," he leaned over Link's shoulders and stole a sip from his mug. He reacted by scoffing and pushing his drink a few inches away, for reason but defiance. "I have to say, though, these mountain girls are awfully friendly. It's like they've never seen a 20 year old with light skin."

Saria opened her mouth but Arthur beat her to it.

''Which isn't too far off. This is one of the most isolated villages on the maps. No one's doing except the weather's; no one wants to move deep into the mountains. It may be cold, but it makes for easy targets."

Arthur grabbed a tuff of Link's hair and tugged it on his way out of the room. "It'd be even easier for you. They'd be eating out of your hands."

"I'm sure they would," Saria muttered into her mug. She waited until Arthur left the room to speak to Link again. "You don't have to read that thing if you don't want to."

"It doesn't seem to be up to me. It's not whether I want to, it's whether I can."

She reached out to touch him but he leaned back in his chair just in time.

"It's not a big deal," he told her. "I'll figure it out."

"Well," she sighed. "You have a few days to do so."

_A few days..._

"When exactly do you think I should leave?" he asked.

"It depends. Don't worry about that now."

He nodded and said nothing else. Nothing else until Saria stood up a good ten minutes later. He begged her to let him come with her wherever she was going. He wanted to leave the table. She said no. 'The more you push yourself the longer you'll stay here.'

"No matter," Link muttered. "I need to catch up on my reading anyway."

"Do you need me to stay and help you? Because I can get the medicine later."

"No. Go. I can understand it I just don't know a few words. Go ahead."

She left. He forgot to ask her to look for his boots.

* * *

><p>He didn't understand it. He couldn't. A few sentences, maybe, here and there. It was like a different language. He understand the simple verbs and nouns, but when a clause extended into a longer sentence he became lost in the letters.<p>

To further his frustration, his wound still barked with pain as he sat at the table. Even when he was still it still throbbed flawlessly in rhythm under the medical tape. Before he could even begin to read, Arthur walked in, greeted Link, and made his way to an old book shelf. Link refocused his tired eyes on his companion who was trying to pass the time with a fiction novel. He pulled out one and opened its cover, reading the introduction. Link could see the carving of a sensual woman on the cover. A beautifully detailed dragon was beside her, threatening to rip her apart. Link was envious of such a novel.

He looked down at the legend and began to read.

_Strengthened only by himself and his experiences. He treks in solitude, invariably, with the exception of a companion outside his species, and has no attachment to another, besides the Hyrule people as a whole. The only love is that between him and his people, his land, and the sages. The only animosity is that of the enemy._

_Anything else threatens the innocent and the vulnerable for everyone but he is defenseless and anemic. It would be deemed inconsiderate to put civilians in his path if not necessary._

He didn't understand 'animosity' or 'anemic' or 'inconsiderate'. He had a feel for this particular passage, but didn't fully understand it. He believed it was speaking to how he should protect those who weren't as powerful as him and how he shouldn't put them in harms way. But he didn't understand the 'solitude' it was referring to or when it was applied. He felt it was important though and he needed to know what it meant.

By this point his literate companion had chosen his story and was making his way across the main room back to his ow.

"Wait, Arthur," Link caught him before he made it to the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Could you come here for a second? I could use your help."

"With what?"

"Are you a good reader?"

"Great reader. Why?"

"Well, I don't know a few of the words in here...could you...I would ask Saria but she's out."

Arthur cracked a smile and opened his mouth with a jocular expression, but silenced himself just in time. Instead of whatever brash comment was brewing in his mind, he said, "Oh, uh yeah. Sure..Do you need me to just define the tough words?"

_I wish. _"Uh, you might as well just read it and explain it to me..."

Arthur just shrugged. He took the legend from Link, swinging the book around in a circle on the table towards him, and began to read. He obviously rushed through the first paragraph and opened his mouth to explain, but he suddenly shut it, crinkled his brow, and began to read slowly and carefully. Not that he would know, but Link was almost positive he was taking longer than needed. Arthur then looked up past the text and Link could tell he wasn't reading anymore. Now he was just thinking.

"What does it say?" Link asked, rather eagerly.

"Um. I-it just says to protect the innocent. That's all."

"Are you sure? What about that solitude part?"

"Oh that's just..for when you fight."

"Really? It didn't say anything about a fight."

"Yeah, look," Arthur pointed to the clause 'he treks in solitude'. "It's saying you should fight your battles alone. That's what trek means. Means to battle."

"All my battles? Like even with dark souls?"

Arthur stared at Link before answering. It was the longest the two of them had ever held eye contact. In a larger perspective, it was short.

"No. Just your final one. Probably with Sinal or something like that. Here they're probably refering to the historical ones, like when the hero fought Ganon...Like, uh, see this word 'invariably'? That means the last."

"Oh. Alright. Thanks."

"Glad I could help."

Link believed he had completely misread the passage and he didn't trust himself to read another word. He left to find Saria...and his shoes. He ignored his pain.

* * *

><p>There was a small commotion outside that did not involve him. He could see it from the steps of his hut. There was a small group of soldiers clumped together and on the fritz, some laughing, some barking commands. He could just spot the rump of a young mare. He stopped one of them rushing by their hut and asked what was going on.<p>

"I think they're having issues with a horse."

"I can help."

"Are you sure?"

"I used to be a rancher." He hadn't met a horse that disliked his company.

The soldier decided not to respond. He didn't even walk beside Link. He just ran off, continuing on his way. Link decided to give away his help even though it wasn't requested. He decided that a thing that was worth something shouldn't go to waste.

The horse was a deep brown slightly lighter than black coffee. It was a lean, young thing, too young to be in war. She and an officer were caught in a static game tug of war when Link approached. Some of the soldiers were taking the situation lightly, nudging their neighbor and mocking the officer. Others awkwardly tried to help but were too shy to make a real difference. Link pushed past a surrounding solider and immediately told the officer to let go.

"This stubborn thing!" he huffed in response.

"Let her win. You'll tire out before she does."

"What if she runs off?"

"Don't let go of the reins, just loosen your grip."

The officer did so and the mare threw her head back and forth, trying to tighten the reins once again. The officer followed her force clumsily and limply.

"Here," Link said, holding out his left hand for the reins.

"I got this, son."

"I used to own a ranch a month or so back. I can calm her down. Let me help."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

The reins had an odd texture to him. They felt different in his hands. Perhaps a different type of leather. He felt the mare tug.

"Shhh," he began. His stomach wound burned but he simply took note of it for later.

He continued on as he always did. Calmly in a soft voice. He spoke to the horse as an equal, showing mutual respect. It was going alright, despite the fire in the young mare's eyes that refused to burn out.

"Calm down, girl, shhhh."

It was going alright. It was all okay until he decided to reach out and touch it. He didn't do it to early or too late or too forcefully or suddenly. He did it perfectly. But when he took his glove off his right hand, he didn't see his hand tremble. It had been doing so from the start and he did not notice it.

She did though. She didn't like Link.

It happened in an instant, be it a slow, drawn out instant in his eyes. She snorted, lifted her front legs up in the air, and thrusted a hoof outward towards his chest. It hit him dead on. He flew backwards and fell down on his back. The sound from her hoof on his chest and his back on the ground was astonishing, how could such a scrawny young thing damage him so?

She let out a whiney, a roar, and threatened to trample him down to a miserable pulp. He scrambled backwards and stared up at the beast in shock. Her hoofs looked so large and so heavy. They were coming down straight for him. She was the biggest horse he had ever seen.

Before she could bring down her weight on top of him, an arrow found itself stuck in her head. It pierced her flesh cleanly and deeply, just missing the eye but easily making the soft socket in which it laid. She stiffened, swung to the side, and tumbled to the ground with a thud. She didn't die. Instead she twitched and squirmed on the ground like roadkill that was just lucky enough to suffer. He watched in horror for a second then looked for the arrow's source.

The commander stood a few hundred yards away, lowering his bow with an impatient scowl across his face. His expression did not change when he brought his attention down towards Link.

He came and killed the dying mare with a second arrow to its heart. Seconds later he demanded the mess be cleaned up. He walked by Link, the dust from his shoes stinging the failure's blue eyes.

A young soldier helped held out a hand to him. He took it and walked away before the soldier could ask him his name.

"I'm sorry about my horse!" the soldier called after him.

"No I'm-Don't worry about it!" Link hollered back, not looking behind his shoulder once. He walked back to the hut barefoot. He gripped his stomach in pain and decided to retreat back to the hut for the rest of the day. He should read, he thought. That was worth something.

_**trek: means to journey or travel**_

_**Invariably: means 'always' or 'continually'**_


	46. Chapter 46: Priorities

_'_I** need opinions from you amazing readers. I thought for a while that I would split ATL up into 3 parts. But then as I looked at some other stories on this site I realized the longer ones are more successful (like 300k or more). Now even though i feel like ATL should be in three separate parts, I also want it to be as successful as possible and I feel like if I make a whole new story named part 2 not all my followers from this story will follow onto that one.**

**Now I don't mind keeping ATL as one story and just breaking it up within that story but the only problem is the rating. ****Part 2 really needs to be rated M for mature**** and I'm not sure how to go about that. I could always just put a major warning before part 2...**

**Please let me know what you guys think is the smartest move. I haven't used this site enough to know how views/attention works or how to handle the site to my advantage. Give me advice, especially maybe you Random since you seem to be a FF expert x3.**

**_Chapter 46: Priorities _**

_"Do you dream about her?"_

_"Sometimes."_

_"Do you have any happy dreams? You strike me as someone who doesn't have a lot of happy dreams."_

_"Why do you think so poorly of me?"_

_"I don't. I never really did. You could just smile more than you do."_

_"I could. It's hard, though."_

_"I know. Tell me a happy dream."_

_"It's strange."_

_"I guarantee what goes through my head at night is worse."_

_"Well, I'm a horse. And I really fast. I just run and run on this big, open field with mountains all around. And I never get tired. It's amazing, I can go as far as I want and no one can stop me or catch me. I know someone is trying to, but they can't. And the farther I go, the safer I feel. And even though they're no where near me, I know I can go a little farther, run for a little longer, so I can be even safer."_

_"Huh...I've had one like that. Except I'm a bird. And no one's chasing me, but I'm in a hunting ground. And I try not to get hit by the arrows. But once I get away, I'm away for good and I'm not being aimed at anymore. I just keep flying till I wake up. I guess that's a pretty common dream."_

_"Well, who doesn't secretly want to be a horse or a bird?"_

_"You want to be a horse?"_

_"I would love it."_

* * *

><p>Link didn't didn't even make it to the hut's front steps before he heard Saria's voice. He noticed an odd pitch that he hadn't before. It bothered him a little. She immediately gave him a hard time for leaving the hut and getting in trouble in less than five minutes.<p>

She also lifted his shirt up with no invitation. After discovering the little patch of blood that seeped through his bandage, she scolded him for his wound reopening. He denied that being his fault.

And even though he told her she did a better job, she insisted on taking him to the village's doctor to get it re-stitched.

As he followed her through the village, he noticed the odd posture that emanated through Saria's swagger. It was uncomfortably straight and tight. Not that it was straight or tight in an extreme degree, it was just uncomfortable to look at and probably to maintain. This posture was forced and was just dying to collaspe. He wouldn't be surprised if she started to shake once she stood still.

He began to think she was in over her head. A little blood seeping through a bandage was nothing. Nothing compared to what lied ahead.

"I think I should leave soon."

"Leave this village? Don't be ridiculous. These people are giving us a place to stay and cheap supplies. It's a long way to the Fire Temple. We might as well rest while we can."

"But I still don't know where Zelda is."

"..That depends if we're willing to believe that girl. Otherwise there's nothing we can really do about it. We could go all the way back to Castle Town and look for her there, assuming that's where she'd go if she escaped. But that's out of our way by a week of traveling time."

"So what am I supposed to do? Just pray she's okay and continue on?"

"Like I said, we could go find her. But pushing off the main objective is risky."

He crinkled his brow. She sounded awfully like the commander. He wondered if his way of speech had rubbed off on her while he was asleep. "And my main objective is what? To get the sword?"

"For now yes. We can't really do anything until you have it."

"What about the light sage? And the shadow? Aren't their identities known? Isn't Sinal going after them?"

"If what I've heard is true, he doesn't personally pursue all of them. He can send his subordinates to an area."

"Okay, so isn't preventing the take over of the sages more important? Why don't I go to those areas and defeat his subordinates?"

Saria sighed. "First of all, don't be so confident. You're strong, but not as strong as you should be. You've managed to take on a few dark souls here and there but that's nothing compared to the dark army, so I've heard. Second, we'd be risking a run in with Sinal. We can't guarantee whether or not he'll be in a certain area. Even if he wasn't, he could easily find out you're there. And third, the areas aren't left exposed. That's the army's job. That's why they're fighting. Part of the sacrifice of being a soldier is risking contact with Sinal. It's their job to protect the sages."

"Then what's my job?"

"..To save them."

Link nodded and said nothing more.

They soon found themselves in the tiniest home they both have ever seen. It consisted of two rooms. One, the one they were standing in, was a combination of a living room and a kitchen. The other seemed to be a bedroom. It absolutely reeked of medicine and herbs, and in such tight quarters the sent was suffocating.

A little, hunched over body came shuffling into the living room from the kitchen. It almost looked a moving boulder it's posture was so shriveled and round.

As it approached Link realized he recognized this person. It was the elderly woman who was in his room the other day, when he had first awoken. A pair of boots were in her hands, his boots.

Without a greeting of any kind, she handed them to him.

"Oh, thanks," he said. "We actually-"

The woman silenced him with a gesture of her hand and motioned to the little couch in the room. As she waddled away, Link glanced at Saria who shrugged. They both sat down on the couch. Link half believed his weight would crush the thing.

He dropped his boots on the floor and began to put them on. He noticed something in the inside lining of the right. A bump in the fabric that was as long and wide as a bar of chocolate. As he ran his hand inside the soft, weak leather, he realized this imperfection was a bubble, a pouch sewn in. He stuck his fingers inside.

"What the-"

A wrinkled hand wrapped around his wrist. He flinched. The woman was beside him. She let go and held up a finger. In the other hand she lifted up a tiny dagger enclosed in a leather cover.

She held it up for a moment to make sure he was watching then easily slipped it into the pouch.

"Always," she said in a thick mountain accent. She shook the boot. "Always."

"Oh, okay. Thank you. But I need-"

She held up a needle, pushed him back, lifted up his shirt, and got to work. He cringed. "_Oh_-k."

He turned to Saria and gave her an uneasy look. She reached out and took his hand. He squeezed hers every time the needle went in.

* * *

><p>The sun began to set over the mountains. Link, Saria and Arthur were outside watching the sky turn pink and yellow and the mountains turn black.<p>

"Take a good look," Arthur mumbled. "This is the best view we'll see in a while."

"Come inside, you two, so we can eat," Saria said on her way inside. "Come on, Link."

"I'll be there in a minute."

The door closed behind him. It can an amazing sound, a door closing from behind. Usually means silence will follow.

But this was the type of silence that encouraged reflection. A beautiful sunset in a peaceful village seemed to play a part in that encouragement. Beautiful things and silence can do that sometimes, make someone think about something important.

Thinking it would be nice to be alone, he enjoyed the sound of the door. But a few seconds after the door closed, once that silence and beauty hit him, he thought otherwise. He didn't enjoy being alone with his own thoughts anymore, not the important ones. He didn't like their company lately, they only made him sadder then when he didn't have the chance to listen to them.

There aren't many thoughts more important than those about the future, what's to come. He didn't want to think about his next move, the future that was waiting for him in a few days, weeks, maybe months. He didn't find his far future, the one in 10 years or so , as important. There was nothing there to think about.

Hell would follow that night, he knew that, and reminding himself tied knots in his gut. But he made a decision that he didn't have to do anything right then and there. At that moment, he could be in peace and just sit there. He knew hell would follow that night, but thinking about it wouldn't make it disappear. And he didn't like thinking about it. So he didn't. It sure was a gorgeous sunset.

"Excuse me!"

A young soldier came bounding up to him. He had a charming young face, except for the tooth missing in the front of his wide smile.

"Yes?"

"Hi, my name's Thomas, from Roanoke," he took Link's hand and shook it vigorously. "But people call me Tom. You're him, right?"

"W-Probably."

He kept shaking. "It's an honor to meet you! You probably don't remember me."

"I don't think I do."

"My horse almost killed you."

"Oh right."

"I am sorry about her. She's a stubborn thing. Er-was."

"Don't be, I'm sorry she had to be killed."

"It's okay. She didn't even have a name. What's yours again? So far I only know you as the hero."

"Link, from Castle Town."

"Fine name. Don't think I've heard that before."

_"Link!"_ Saria called from inside.

"I don't want to take up more your time," Thomas said as he backed up.

"Wait," Link said. He slowly stood up, hand on his wound. He suddenly felt eighty years old in front of this young man who couldn't be more than a year younger. "I want to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Well, I know there are some soldiers protecting the sages-"

Thomas looked up to the gods and made a holy gesture. "Bless their souls," he said sincerely.

"..I was wondering if you knew anything about that. Like what's going on there."

"I don't know much. And we're not supposed to say anything."

Link flashed the most charming grin he could muster. "Even to me?"

Thomas was caught off guard, Link almost thought he saw his cheeks flush. "I-I'm sorry, I would tell you but they really don't tell us a lot. You could ask the commander."

Link scoffed and looked to the side. "Might as well do nothing."

"_LINK!"_ Saria called.

"Thanks anyway," he said to Thomas and disappeared into the house. _Weird. _

* * *

><p>As they ate, Link took his fork and pushed the legend away from his plate with the prongs.<p>

"How is that thing, by the way?" Arthur asked.

"How is it? Are you asking if it's a good book?"

He looked down and twitched his shoulders, cringed almost, like he regretted his question. "I don't know."

"Well, it's not."

It was silent for a moment. Link complimented Saria on the food since that's what the silence seemed to demand. However, the meat seemed sickening to him. He could tell it was well made and good quality, he just didn't enjoy eating it. She thanked him and popped a piece of broccoli in her mouth.

"When are we leaving?" Link asked.

Saria sighed. "Didn't we discuss this already?"

"Give me a date."

"In the end it's up to you, I suppose."

"Tomorrow."

She smirked. "Be realistic."

"Yeah," Arthur said through his fatty meat. "We should milk this place a little longer, don't you think?"

It was silent again.

"Does it say anything about Sinal?" Saria asked, staring at the legend.

"No," Link muttered. "I skimmed through the entire thing trying to find his name but he's not mentioned once."

"Of course it doesn't say anything about Sinal," Arthur said, leaning back in his chair. "He's one of a kind."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know the hero usually fights this guy from Gerudo. This is the first time someone else showed up."

"Just my luck," Link murmured.

"Yeah, you kinda got screwed over on that. This Gerudo guy doesn't sound so bad."

"Maybe we can track him down," Link smirked. "Get him to be on our side and help us out a bit with the psycho."

He was only half kidding.

Saria spun the legend over and skimmed a paragraph. "That's rather depressing."

"What?"

"Just says here you're supposed to be alone. Well, I guess we don't have to do everything according to the legend, do we?"

"Wait, what?"

"Link, did you find your shoes?" Arthur asked.

"Uh, yeah. Saria what do you mean I'm supposed to be alone? You mean when I fight Sinal?"

"W-I mean you'll probably be alone for that, yes. But it says you should be traveling alone too."

"What passage are you reading?"

"Ow!" Saria squeaked and looked over at Arthur. "Did you just kick me?"

"Saria, what passage are you reading from?"

"It says it right here._ He treks in solitude, invariably, with the exception of a companion outside his species..."_

"Doesn't trek mean fight?"

"No, it means to travel. It says you travel alone, always."

Link, cheeks burning hot, looked at Arthur.

He awkwardly smiled. "Um, I might have misunderstood the pass-"

"No you didn't."

"...I just didn't want you to get all upset and run off on your own."

"So you lied to me?!"

"Not directly," he muttered, refusing to make eye contact.

"Oh, yeah, not directly. You lied to me through my illiteracy!"

"I'm sorry, Link. It was stupid. I don't know why I did it."

"What, are you that desperate to do something with your life? That desperate to follow me on this fun adventure?!"

"I-"

"You thought once I read that I'd just leave you two here?! You think I'm some spineless idiot who will do whatever the legend tells him to do?!"

"Link, it's not that big of a deal," Saria whispered.

"It is, though! I have my life laid out for me in a book and I don't even know what it says! I can't even trust my friend to tell me the truth. It's like telling a blind person the sky's green!"

"No it's not!" Arthur scoffed.

"Yeah, it is!"

Arthur squirmed for a second then exploded. "_Link you won't survive on your own, don't you get it?!"_

"Arthur!" Saria scorned.

Link held up a hand to her. She stared at it with narrowed eyes.

"You know what Arthur? You were _so_ concerned about me leaving on my own and now that's exactly what I'm going to do." He got up and walked out the door.

"Oh, come on, Link!" Arthur groaned and followed him down the hut's steps. The sky's pink hue had faded to an inky blue. "You're being dramatic!"

"You're being light-hearted! I don't think you understand how hard this is going to get. You think it's all gonna be fun and games but it's gonna get much worse!"

"You don't think I know that?!"

"Arthur, this is my issue. It's my problem. It's my legend. Not yours and Saria's. Sinal's after me, not you two. But he will be if you two keeping following me around! It's the 'hero of legend' not 'heroes'."

He immediately regretted that last part.

"Oh, okay," Arthur scoffed and stepped back, hands up. "I get it."

"I didn't mean that."

"You think we can't help? Think it's a one man job and we would only fuck it up? Or is it that you want all the glory to yourself when all this is over?"

"Oh come on! You know I didn't mean that!"

"No, you know what? Have fun on your own. Cuz guess what? Sinal _is_ after you! And he will get to you before you get your sword! Before you're strong enough to fight back! And he'll _kill_ you! How do you know he's not watching you, right now?!"

_Don't look around._ "I'm not afraid!"

Saria stood in the doorway.

Link called out to her, "Don't worry, Saria. I'm letting you off the hook. You can turn back and go home."

She frowned and looked to the ground.

Arthur stepped forward as Link approached Epona. "You're not actually doing this, are you? You're leaving here? Where's there's food and shelter?!"

"Well _you_ enjoy it then. I'm leaving," he mounted Epona but paused before kicking her side. He took a good long pause to let the dust settle. "...I'll write to you when this is over. Maybe we can get a drink."

"Link!"

He was already gone. Only dust from the mountain trail remained.

Arthur turned and walked up to the doorway. He looked at Saria and said, "Maybe it's for the best. We had no business being with him anyway. We can finally go home."

"I'm not homesick," Saria muttered, staring at the spot where Link and Epona had disappeared.

"Yeah, me neither."

**Let me know what you guys think. I wanted to add in a suggestion that Thomas was Susan's son (susan, the woman from the prison who was from the same town) but couldn't fit it in right. **

**WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH PART ONE, 3-4 CHAPTERS TO GO! PART 2 IS MY FAV! **

**I want your opinions on the fight, i was kinda unsure how this all went down. Also, since ATL doesn't include last names, i was thinking people in my world would just say where they're from instead of a last name. I think it flows nicely.**

**R n R and thank you sooo much for all your support. Shout out to Rage who offered to do a fan art music video for me! Shout out to K'ger who's computer is broken, miss her so much! And shout out to Random who still needs a drawing, sry i'm taking so long!**


	47. Chapter 47: Saria and Arthur

_**Chapter 47: Saria and Arthur**_

"Saria?"

Two eyes as green as a forest canopy looked up from the floor. "Yes?"

Arthur swayed his weight like an upside down pendulum as he entered her room. He looked around as he said, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine."

"Okay good." He pursed his lips slightly and glanced around the room again. Besides the humble cot and the dresser set up beside the doorway, the room was completely empty, not even a picture frame to entertain the eye. Saria couldn't guess what he was looking at.

It was silent for a minute or so. It was ironic, really, how so many stirring events have taken place and would take place in the near future, yet the two travelers seemed to have nothing to discuss. Saria glanced out the window and took note of the moon's color and shape for a moment then looked back at the long limbed vagabond that stood a foot or so into her room. "Where are you gonna go now? once we leave, I mean," she asked.

"Me?"

_Who else?_

Her reaction must have said it all; he dropped his eyes and awkwardly smirked. "Uh-home. Yeah, I think I'll go home."

She lifted her brow. "Really?"

He cracked a wide, bright smile. The expression seemed sudden for the moment. "Why so surprised?"

"Well I-"

She was interrupted; once Arthur released this charming smile, he leaned backwards towards the doorway and, as he did so, his backside bumped against the dresser. It shifted and a lamp threatened to fall. He flinched, twisted his posture, and threw out a hand midair as if to freeze it telepathically.

"...I didn't think you were sick of traveling just yet," Saria finished once the dust had settled and it was clear nothing had fallen.

Arthur took in a deep breath that stretched the bottom of his lungs and looked outside the room, down the hall. He was now leaning against the doorway, nonchalantly as ever. As he turned his head away from her, she could see the distinct profile of his face, blackened by the hallway light. "Well, I'd like to see my family," he said.

For some reason, perhaps a few reasons, she assumed Arthur didn't have a family. "How long has it been?"

"Almost 5 years."

"That'll be nice."

"It will be, hopefully. What about you? You going back to Kiorki?"

"I'd like to go home," she said. "But Kiorki will have to do."

"I can take you there, if you want."

"You don't have to."

"I-I thought you wouldn't want to be alone."

Her mind immediately went to that moonlit clearing, even though Arthur probably wasn't aware of what happened. "I'm not afraid."

"I never said you were...It'd be company, that's all."

"Where did you live, Arthur?"

He pretended to put out an imaginary cigarette with his boot and watched himself do so. "North west of here. Far. Past these mountains."

"Past the mountains?"

"Yeah, I'm not from Hyrule."

She gave the subtlest smirk she could muster. "Then you really have no business being with us then."

"Had," he corrected.

She smiled and looked back down. "You don't have to take me to Kiorki. It's three days out of your way."

He nodded. "Alright...Then I won't. Goodnight Saria."

"Goodnight."

* * *

><p>"Um, Sir?" Saria squeaked from behind the commander. It was early the next morning and she spotted the tall man staring out over the mountains, his soldiers just waking up.<p>

The commander turned and looked down at her. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"And what would that be?" he started walking with his hands behind his back, carrying a militant posture that made Saria look like a hunchback as she followed.

"Well, I need a horse. Mine was stollen on the way here and now that-" she caught herself. There was a good chance the commander didn't know Link was gone.

"Continue."

"...Now that I'm leaving for home on my own, I need one to ride back."

"I'm assuming traveling by foot is not an option."

"It's three days by horse. I'm not sure how long it would take on foot."

"Well, Saria, keeping track of the war horses isn't one of my responsibilities."

"Yes, I know that but-"

"But you just assumed the Hylian Army just happened to have extras?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry, I've wasted your time."

The commander turned his head slightly as she scuttled away but didn't look back.

Arthur had been standing not far away, eavesdropping, and as she passed by he belittled her. "Aw, does someone not have a horse?"

"Shut up."

"I can still take you home, ya know."

"It's fine, Arthur. Just drop it."

He frowned and followed her a few steps. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you're avoiding my company."

"No, no, I promise that's not true."

"Then why don't you let me take you home?"

"Because you don't have to! I'll be able to get a horse!"

"How?! Do you even have enough money?"

"I'll figure it out. Leave me alone."

Arthur stopped following her.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Saria made her way to a small vegetable stand and began to buy supplies for herself. She wished she had more money on her and, unfortunately, she felt she had destroyed the option to ask Arthur for a loan, the option to do so causally, at least.<p>

"Excuse me?" a young soldier bounded up to Saria's side.

"Yes?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you knew where the hero was. I just learned something that he may be interested in."

"He left."

"Oh...well that's a shame. Probably for the best though."

"What did you learn?"

"Um, it's not for your ears."

She rolled her eyes and began to pack up her produce.

"I'm Thomas, by the way."

"Saria." She began to walk away, Thomas followed her.

"I heard you needed a horse..."

She stopped and turned. "Do you know where I can get one?"

"Oh, no, I was just gonna say that's a shame."

She sighed and continued on her way.

"I would've have given you my own," Thomas insisted as he caught up to her side. "..But it died the other day."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. She was just a war horse."

Saria looked at him for a moment. His eyes were slanted downward in a permeant pout. She kept the conversation going out of guilt. "You seem young to be in the army, Thomas."

"Not really. There are a lot my age. But I guess I did have a more personal reason to get involved."

"May I ask what that reason is?"

"My village was destroyed recently, I was separated from my family. I joined the army in hopes of finding them in one of the refugee camps as I travel...And there's the revenge aspect of the thing, I guess."

"I'm sorry about your family. I've lost contact with mine as well. You haven't found any of them, have you?"

"Not in person, no. I've heard my sister is safe somewhere west of here. My mother Susan was taken prisoner not too long ago...when I heard there was a prison up here I thought I'd have a chance to maybe find her."

Saria's heart sank. His tone and expression told her he didn't know about his mother's underground fate. "Oh, yeah, maybe."

Thomas suddenly straighten himself. The commander was walking towards them, leading a horse with him. It was some mountainous breed, short and sturdy with fuzz on its chin.

The commander handed Saria the reins. "I'm assuming you've aided the hero throughout his journey, and for that Hyrule owes you its life. However, for now, this will have to do."

"Oh, thank you very much, sir."

He tipped his head ever so slightly to the side. "Saria, is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, Saria, I apologize for its stature. There wasn't a plethora of choice."

"He's perfect. Thank you."

The commander smiled at her and she believed it was the first time he had done so, at least so sincerely. He nodded, a shimmer of favor in his small eyes and strolled away.

Saria said goodbye to sweet Thomas and left his company swiftly, retreating for the rest of the day. She would leave tomorrow, she decided. She didn't have to leave today, the sun was too low in the sky. She didn't have to leave just yet, she could wait and savor one more night. Tomorrow she would leave.

As she passed by a small home to get to her temporary one, a woman was glaring at her, more specifically at her stubby new horse. 10 years ago, the army was known for a certain habit, a habit of helping themselves to civilian food, supply, and housing, some claimed it was 'payment' for their services. Saria had assumed the commander paid for the horse, perhaps she was wrong.

* * *

><p>That night, Saria found herself standing in the well lit hall of a medical office. A nice one, possibly one of a royal. The marble floors were so clean it was as if she was standing on water or even air. Soon she was joined by others walking in the opposite direction.<p>

Everyone who passed by her asked her if she was sick. Nurses, doctors, even patients themselves. Each time she said no. However, she began to grow sicker each time someone questioned her well being. The more they asked, the worse her condition became.

She was about to admit to her illness when she suddenly found herself in a small room, a patient's room. Illica was on the bed, in labor. She looked as expected, sweaty and in pain.

"Illica! You're having your baby!" Saria was happy, maybe even proud. That was, until, she saw blood drip out from between the soon-to-be mother's legs. Her shocked smile disappeared. "Illica, are you alright?"

She stepped forward to help but Illica cried out,"No! Honey, you're sick. Go get a doctor."

"I can help you."

"You're not strong enough, please go get me a doctor."

_Fine. _She ran out into the hall and found a doctor immediately. He was basically waiting for her outside the room

"That woman needs your help!" she told him. The doctor was at least 6 feet tall, maybe just under 7, so she was more hollering upwards.

He looked down at her and said, "Saria?"

"Help her! She's bleeding out!"

"Saria?"

She woke up to Arthur's voice and his touch.

"Saria? Wake up, Saria."

She sat up slowly. "Arthur?" The only source of light in the room was the subtle moonlight pouring in through the window. She found this odd, Arthur had not lit a single lantern.

"Shhh, Saria, listen to me." His urgent and slightly shaken voice was coming from the side of her skull and although she couldn't see him, she knew he was crunched down beside her bed. Something was wrong. "You have to promise me you'll stay calm, alright? It'll be okay but you have to stay calm."

She suddenly felt his hand on hers. He gripped it tight. Really tight. Something was very wrong. She could do it, she could stay calm. Or at least that's what she told herself. "What's wrong?"

"Saria you have to promise me you'll stay calm. We have to or we won't survive."

"I promise. Tell me what's wrong."

Arthur flinched, she could feel it. "Shhh keep your voice down, it'll be alright. Sinal's here, okay? but it-"

She bit down on her lip hard and shifted in her sheets. A muffled sound of sorts, a cross between a grunt and a scream, escaped from her mouth which she tried so desperately to keep shut. _Sinal's here. _

Arthur reached up and placed a hand on her, luckily it landed on her shoulder, a shot in the dark. "-it's okay, it's okay, shh-shhh, be quiet. It's alright," The tone of his voice said the opposite. He was crying, softly but surely. A dignified and understandable whimper.

Once both of them have silenced, they could hear the muffled screams from outside. They progressively got louder. The two of them sat there a moment in darkness, each of them too afraid to make the next move. But what was the next move? To sit still in the dark and pray no one finds them? To run away? And if so, when? Right then, amongst the chaos? After the massacre, when the air had silenced? And in what direction? Towards the horses, _across _the village or straight into the surrounding forests?

The decision was made for them. Outside the room, down the hallway, they heard the front door open.

They froze.

"_Heeellllooooo?_" a sickly, deep voice cooed. They heard something break, something glass.

They couldn't see each other, but they knew both their eyes were wide with horror.

_Calm. _She tried to focus herself, focus on something else, focus on anything but the dark solider making its way down the hallway. She looked around the room for something, anything. It was so dark, all she could see was a slither of her bed and a section of the floor board illuminated by the blue moonlight. She followed the light to its source, the window. _The window!_

"Arthur," she whispered. She unhooked the lock on the window and slid it open gingerly. Each creak in the wood was an alarm.

She put her feet out first and felt the cold northern air nip her bare ankles.

"Come on!" Arthur hissed into her ear. He had already climbed the bed and was eagerly waiting to dive to freedom.

She slid out, fell about 5 feet, and landed cleanly, Arthur following less then two seconds behind. She took two steps away from the house, towards the dense forest, and thought of running. It seemed so easy, to disappear into the trees.

Arthur lunged forward, snatched her by her waist, and pulled her back to him. He pressed his back up against the wall and held his arm across her collar bone, putting her in the same position. She turned her head towards him. He stared at her for a split second, put a finger up to his lips, and looked up.

She followed his gaze and nearly screamed. Right above their heads was a dark soul peering out the open window. Arthur pressed against her harder, as if he was trying to imbed her into the wood.

It left. Saria prayed to Hylia in gratitude, gratitude for it being a mindless dark soul and not a dark solider. If it was a soldier, they would've been found for sure.

The sounds of the massacre were very present now, loud and just around the corner. Screams, yells, clanks of metal weapons as the soldiers desperately tried to fight back. Saria could even hear the whoosh of air left behind by a flying arrow. Arthur now had his hand wrapped around her arm, as if one of them was a child that was likely to get lost otherwise.

The horses were to their right as their backs faced the house, towards their left once they faced the village. The quickest way was for them to turn the left corner of the house and make a run for it. Unfortunately, the second they peered around the corner, a dark soul was sulking around the side of the house.

They were then forced to take the long way, around the right corner, past the side of the house, and then around the front right corner, past the front of the house and towards the horses. Saria had never been so grateful for having a home this small.

Before they turned the front right corner, Arthur gingerly peered around it to make sure the path to the horses was relatively clear. Relatively clear; meaning there were no dark souls directly in their way, they couldn't avoid the ones on the side considering the size of Sinal's swarm.

Saria restrained herself from looking anywhere but towards the back of Arthur's head. The glow from a nearby fire flickered in the corner of her eye and illuminated a few strands of his hair. If she took her eyes of these strands, she would see dark souls tearing people apart and homes burning to the ground. She could hear it, though. There was no avoiding that.

Arthur looked behind his shoulder and whispered a terse 'okay', telling her the path was clear.

They took a mere second, hidden behind the house wall, to collect themselves, to take a deep breath. They needed to move fast yet go undetected, they needed to keep their attention forward and not make eye contact with any of the rouge mental patients yet be alert for an inevitable attack. And most of all, they had to keep away from dark soldiers or gods forbid their leader.

"Ready?" Arthur was bouncing on his heels slightly, ready to dart.

Saria nodded. _Ready. _

They didn't make it three feet; there, directly in the center of their path, was a tall, large, dark colored column-like shape with a pale face. Sinal.

Saria's scream could have woken a child from miles away. She scrambled back, tripping slightly, and found herself cowering behind Arthur.

Arthur froze still, just like his blood, and nearly choked; he was too shocked to breath in, his lungs had frozen as well.

Sinal did nothing. Not at first. He just stared at them.

But after a few seconds past that felt like hours, Saria admitted to herself he was looking at her. It was hard to tell with those dead eyes, but he seemed to be moving his head ever so slightly to the side to look past her Arthur-barrier. Arthur noticed this as well, threw a shaking arm behind him, and pulled her closer to him and out of Sinal's view.

The monster lifted up a mangled arm out from under his heavy cloak and pointed an elongated finger towards Saria. "May I see her for a moment?"


	48. Chapter 48: Link Alone

**_I'm not sure about this chapter. I wanted to continue to include the last obstacle Link had to face to reach the temple, but the chapter seemed to be lagging on so I decided to cut it (plus I'm not sure i want to include the Gorons. I like ATL to be as realistic and mature as possible and I feel like having these mystical races kinda ruins that feeling. Idk.)_**

**_Ik this beginning of this chapter might be a little far fetched but its necessary to really understand Link and his relationships._**

**_Chapter 48: Link Alone_**

The bar smelled like his uncle's breath. The lights were dim, the furniture was dark, and the men were drunk. His uncle placed a large hand on Link's shoulder and walked him to the counter. Link was too short to see over it.

"Take a seat," his uncle commanded.

Link had to climb the bar stool to do so.

The bartender greeted his uncle by name, then looked at Link in hesitation. "How old is he?"

Link almost blurted out his new age, but his uncle interrupted him with a baldfaced lie.

"16."

"He doesn't look 16."

"Come on, Ricky, it's his birthday. I can't buy my nephew a drink on his birthday?"

"I didn't know you had a nephew."

Link never knew what his uncle did at that moment to make the bartender say yes. He was too young to understand the subtleness that went into an adult relationship, too young to understand a certain innuendo or silent threat.

"What'll it be?"

His uncle looked at Link. "Well? Answer!"

Link frowned. He only knew one name, the drink his uncle drank. He used to try to sound out the name on the bottle when he was younger. That, and the labels on the stable supplies, was the extent of his education. "Whiskey."

The bartender smirked. "Sure you don't want a rum punch or something a little sweeter?"

Something sweeter sounded nice, but his uncle scolded the bartender for questioning his choice.

The short glass was in front of Link in seconds. He was surprised it came in a glass, his uncle usually drank it out of the bottle. It looked like honey, but it sure didn't taste like it.

"Are you gonna drink the damn thing or just sit there?!"

Link thought he had been drinking it. He let a little drop slip through his teeth every now and then. It tasted awfully bitter, like the inside of a plant. He hated it. He reluctantly lifted the glass to his lips again and let a little more seep through his lips. His uncle placed a finger on the bottom of the glass and lifted it up, forcing a flood. Link's throat closed and forced it up back. His uncle just lifted it up higher.

"Come on, drink it. Don't you dare let that fuckin' whiskey spill. It's expensive.

It burned. His throat squirmed. But he forced himself to let it through anyway. It would be over quicker, he reasoned. After it was gone, he coughed again and turned away from his uncle.

"From now on you drink your drinks without coughing."

Link nodded and stifled the others.

"I have another gift for you," his uncle said.

Link was surprised. Besides the whiskey, his uncle had never gotten him a gift before. "Really?"

"Think of it as a reward. I didn't think I had much use for a scrawny little kid-" his uncle shrugged his massive shoulders. "-didn't have a choice either way. But you've done decent work."

"What's the reward?"

"Can't give it to you here."

His uncle payed the bill, leaving no tip, and left, Link not far behind. His stomach felt ill, but he ignored it.

It was late, at least three hours past the time Link usually fell asleep. He walked beside his uncle down the streets of Castle Town. He had been in town before, a worker of his uncle who cared for Link frequently took him down every now and then. He had never been down town, however, so close to the front gates of the outer wall. There were old men out on blankets selling pottery, musicians playing in hopes of a small tip, artists promoting their craft and most of all, women. Some were dancers, flaunting around in silk garments, exposing their bare bellies. Others were close by the shops and homes, leaning against the walls or in the doorways. Some were gorgeous with long, nice looking bodies. Some were older and covered their face with an immense amount of makeup.

Link flinched when his uncle put a hand on his shoulder. He felt guilty for staring. His uncle didn't take his blood-shot eyes off the streets. When he was far younger, Link believed his uncle's eyes were red from crying or perhaps from the fatigue of working hard on the ranch. He quickly learned otherwise.

"I think you got this idea in your head that I'm gonna take care of you your whole life-" that wasn't true "-it's time for you to grow up and become a man."

Link didn't respond.

"Comere," his uncle murmured and tugged Link over to a woman standing in a nearby door way. She was middle-aged with a slab of wrinkled belly fat spilling over her skirt. The color of her skin was nice, at least, a light bronze. And her features, although withered with age and poor health, were sharp and exotic. A run down motel room was behind her, a disgusting yellow color slathered over the walls. A lit pipe was in her fingers. She looked down at Link and gave a crooked smile.

"What do you see here?" his uncle asked him.

"A woman."

"Come on, you're smarter than that, aren't you? What is she really?"

Link didn't want to say. Not in front of her. He didn't know the proper word anyway. He only knew the word his uncle used. He was almost certain it wasn't proper.

He just shrugged as an answer.

His uncle delivered a blow to the back of his head and scoffed. "Get inside that room. Wait there."

He did. The room smelled like smoke and his uncle's breath. The bed he sat on was dusty and the sheets were rough to the touch.

After his uncle spoke to the woman for a moment, he left. Link leaned forward on the edge of the bed and watched his uncle until he disappeared behind the room's wall. The woman came in and shut the door behind her.

Link wasn't sure what was happening exactly, but by this point his cheeks were burning red. He felt uncomfortable and wished he was with one of the younger women. One of the prettier ones, with the nice smiles. He wasn't sure why his uncle had picked this one.

The woman bent down to his eye level, took a long drag and blew the smoke in Link's face. He tried his best not to cough.

"What's your name?" the woman asked, smiling with yellow teeth.

* * *

><p>Link thought of this memory as he walked through the sparsely populated western forest, alone. It was one of those memories that forced itself into a moment when it had no business being there.<p>

He thought of how cheap his uncle had been, how he couldn't spend the extra money on a prostitute less than 40 years old. Or maybe one that smelled nicer, less like smoke. He knew most of them probably smelled like that, like old pipes, but to that _extent. _She must have been cheap.

But then Link thought of his uncle now, in an immense of amount of debt or possibly in jail, and felt better.

It had been a day or so since he left the Northern Mountains in search of the Fire Temple. A day since he left alone to take matters into his own hands. Up to this point he had relied on the sight of the tall, volcanic mountain that the temple supposedly laid within. He was never great with maps and since he had lost his vagabond, it was a fortunate coinsidence that he could see his destination from miles away.

He looked up, just being able to see the mountain's unique, canon like texture through the branches. He stopped in his tracks for a moment and stared.

It was close. He was almost there. If he was being honest with himself, he wished it was farther. Just a little smaller. The Fire Temple worried him the most. From the moment he began this journey. But it was always so far into the future, he always mentally pushed it aside. Now it was so close. The 'temple of power'. He didn't feel very powerful, and he didn't look forward to testing his body to get stronger. Assuming it was his body that would be tested.

It was very close. It was very _big. _His stomach fluttered, he was a child waiting in line for a tall theme park coaster, wondering if he still had time to back out.

Is this the torture he had been awaiting from the start, the hardship everyone had been hinting at, including himself? Is this that last step to becoming who he was supposed to be? Will everything else be easier after this?

He wasn't the hero yet, that was clear, and this final challenge would change him. Nothing that causes that much change in a person is easy.

Epona nudged his side impatiently. She was ready to get going. He wasn't sure if he was.

Even though she was smokey, middled aged, and cheap, Link saw his prostitute around the curves of the trees, taunting him with her yellow smile.

* * *

><p>Once Link broke out of the forest, the town of Kasashi laid before him. It was a tiny, isolated little place buried between two canyon walls. After he lead Epona through a claustrophobic pathway, the valley opened up to reveal the dull-colored rows of wooden structures, about 10 or so on each side of a wide, dusty road. The town almost seemed deserted at first glance. There were people there for certain, but they had no where to go, no reason to get up out of their rocking chairs or lift their leaning weight off their doorways and walls. So the road was empty. Link strolled in uninterrupted, but these people took notice of him. They narrowed their eyes and watched him closely as he passed. He assumed this place didn't get much visitors.<p>

He kept his attention down and didn't make eye contact. He didn't belong here, he could feel it in his bones, which were probably frailer than those of the large men who inhibited this place.

There were soldiers there, a couple of them. Link wasn't sure what they were doing there, assuming the sage's identity was still safe. They also stared at him as he passed by, their expressions varied from confusion to skepticism. Link figured they simply had nothing else to look at, there was no way he looked more threatening than he was. And there was no way he looked more heroic than he was.

Link spotted a tavern, a few actually, on the side of the road. He heard faint music from inside. He was tempted to stop and grab a drink, he could sure use one. But he decided that would be unwise to do so before entering a temple. He needed all of his wits and he needed them sharp. So he saved the drink for later, after the temple. It would be a reward. He could sure use one, he figured.

He could see his destination at the far end of the town, where the canyon thinned out into a narrow pathway. This pathway was blocked by a wooden gate that carried the resemblance of the town, cheap and simple but study.

A guard was in front of it. Of course.

This guard was a native, he could tell by his attire. Something about the dust-colored fabric of his clothing and obnoxiously thick leather belt gave him away. And there was the fact that the man was immense in stature.

"Excuse me..." Link began.

"You aint getting through."

"Aren't the temples a place of worship?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So shouldn't I be free to worship as I please? It's a temple not a castle."

"You're a young fellow, aint ya? Why you so bent on the old ways?"

Link shrugged. "Mature for my age, I guess."

"Sorry, can't go through."

He was getting tired of this. The temple should be the only obstacle he had to worry about. "You don't understand, I have go through."

"Where you from?"

"Castletown." _Should've lied._

"Oh _Castletown! _You all must be living a fine life under them royals."

He didn't respond.

The guard's eyes darted around Link. "You must be a pampered little thing."

"Not really."

"What are those earrings made of?"

_Don't respond to that._

"Thought so. You think you can get your way cuz you a little richer than us?"

"No I-"

"I don't understand you people. Why do you need a fancy temple to worship? Just pray to Hylia on your own! We here, we don't need any of that extra shit. If we want to have faith, it's ours. No marble temple is gonna give it to us."

"And there's nothing wrong with that. I don't need to pray. I'm here for-...different reasons."

"This some kind of iconoclasm?"

_Iconoclasm? "_Not sure what that means but-"

"OH! Aint that something! I know more than a fancy southerner. From Castle Town! Hey everyone, I knew a fancier word than this pierced fool!"

Link temper was being tampered with. "I'm just trying to-"

The guard snorted and mocked in a snooty voice, "I'm just trying to-"

Link smugly took off his glove and flashed his mark. The guard's reaction wouldn't be ideal, but at least it would shut him up.

The guard, still chuckling, stared at the mark for a good 10 seconds, then silenced. After looking towards either side of the canyon, he leaned in and whispered, "Listen, boy, I wouldn't flash that thing around if I were you."

Link covered his hand. "Why?"

"People around here aint very kind. Nor they very religious."

"Neither am I."

The guard smirked. "Well aint that ironic?"

"..Yeah. So can I go through?"

"Nah. I don't believe it. You can think what you want and they can preach what they preach but I personally don't believe it," the guard ran his tongue over his teeth and sniffed. "Wouldn't be right to let you through. Don't feel right. In my gut. Goes against my personal-"

Link held up his right hand lazily. "I get it."

That hand was soon crushed in the larger man's stone grip. "Nah, nah," the guard begin with a slight chuckle. "I don't think you do."

Link took stance and attempted to pull away. He failed. "Let go."

"I don't think you _get_ where you are. Don't think you _get _who these people are. Don't think you get that they'll tear you apart. In more ways than your thinking of right now."

"W-I'm only thinking of one way."

"You better get out of here. Not everyone here _agrees_ with your whole image."

"My image?"

The guard shook his right hand. "_This _image."

He shoved Link away as he released his hand and sent him stumbling back. Infuriated, Link gathered himself.

"I'm getting through and you can't stop me."

"HA! Better watch yourself. Aint as tall as you think you are."

Link lunched forward. To him, he was a _giant_.

The guard effortless shot out a hand and kept Link at bay. "Just cuz you have the guts to jump off a cliff doesn't mean you'll be able to fly."

After being shoved backwards, Link reluctantly accepted defeat both of both body and mind. He didn't think the man's superior size would be an issue. He also didn't expect the westerner to have such wit.

"I don't have time for this. What will it take to let me through?"

"How bout them earrings?"

"My earrings? You want my earrings?"

"Yup."

"No!" Link scoffed. He nearly gripped his earlobes. "Can't I just pay you?"

"How much can you spare?"

"20."

"Think the earrings are worth more than that."

"You can't be serious."

"Jewelry's more important then you getting to that temple?"

Link frowned and thought for a good minute or so. _They're just earrings. _No matter how many times he told himself that, he knew it wasn't true.

"The sun's not waiting for you to make up your mind," the guard muttered.

Link looked towards the west and took note of the intense magenta hue that draped over the canyon walls. He then took off his earrings for the first time in a long time and winced; he didn't enjoy the unfamiliar feeling of the small metal rod sliding through his nearly closed opening. The two blue hoops in his palm looked smaller than he remembered.

_I don't wanna get my ears pierced!_

_Stop being such a baby!_

"You wanna go through or not?!"

"Fine," Link muttered and handed them over. "Just know you didn't make the hero's journey any easier."

"Oh no, I hope I'll be able to sleep tonight," the guard mocked as Link passed. "and have fun with the Gorons."

"What?"

After realizing the guard had already shut the gate behind him and obviously wasn't going to answer, Link frowned and turned his attention forward. He wasn't sure if it was the uncertainty that plagued him in the woods or his new sense of insecurity that the guard uncovered, but the now red glow of the canyon walls seemed like a warning.

**so yeah, i could use some help with this chapter. I feel like its lacking of substance. **

**It's supposed to bring out the fact that link is becoming arrogant because he's found his sense of courage and wisdom. But, like the guard said, he can't really get anything done with just those two values. He needs to be powerful enough as well. **

**But I feel like Link kinda walked past the gate with too much ease, i want it to be more of a struggle I guess. But in 'Power' there will be another obstacle to get to the temple, what that is I'm stilling trying to figure out. (I have two chapters in between to help me with that) LMK what you think. Please, I really need feedback PLOT wise on this chapter.**


	49. Chapter 49: Saria Alone

_**Warning, long ass chapter BUT ONE OF MY FAVS!**_

_**Chapter 49: Saria Alone**_

_"I don't wanna get my ears pierced!"_

_"Stop being such a baby. My dad said it doesn't hurt."_

_"I don't care about it hurting, I just don't want to."_

_"Well I can't wait! I'm gonna get green."_

_"Why?"_

_"Cuz my eyes are green. And that way I'll always match."_

_"You'll always match with the trees too."_

_"Right! What color are you gonna get?"_

_"My mom said blue."_

_"Yeah! Get blue!"_

_"I will. If I do it at all."_

_"I'm not doing it alone! You have to do it with me!"_

_Link groaned and kicked a stone. "Why do they want us to get our ears pierced?"_

_"It's tradition. Supposed to make us grow up!"_

_"It's too early for that."_

_"I don't think so. I can't wait to grow up and marry someone and have a family!"_

Saria lifted a hand and felt her earrings then wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. She was cleaning the kitchen.

"Saria?" a whiny voice called from the other room. "Can I have some bread and jam?"

"No."

"Why? I'm hungry!"

"Dinner will be in an hour! Save your appetite."

"I'm hungry _now."_

"You're going to have to wait!"

"But-"

Saria's fingers slipped and a plate shattered on the floor. She cried out in frustration then screeched, "Go whine to your mother if you're so starving!"

Silence.

She fell to her knees and began to pick up the shards.

"Oh, that's a shame," a new voice breathed.

Saria looked up to see Illica, strolling into the kitchen with a basket of supplies.

"Yeah, sorry for your plate," she muttered.

Illica waved a hand. "No need to apologize. It's your plate just as much as it is mine."

Saria paused for a second upon hearing that. "Um, Illica," she began as she threw out the larger shards. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is that, my dear?"

"Well, I've been staying here for a while now."

"I'd say more than a while!"

"Right, and my 17th birthday is coming up, as you know..." she kept her back turned and her attention on the sink.

"Of course. Is this about a certain gift you have in mind?"

"No. Illica I'd like you to start paying me."

"Excuse me?"

_Just keep cleaning. _"I've been working hard around here, helping you with the kids and the cooking and cleaning and running errands...Soon I'd like to move on...but I can't do that if I don't have any money." She went to the far side of the kitchen and got a broom to sweep up the remains of the plate, avoiding eye contact.

"Well I, I don't know what to say. You're like a daughter to me, not my employe! When your father left I thought there was an understanding...t-that I'd give you a place to stay and food to eat until you grew old enough to live on your own."

"I know...and I understand that...but once I am old enough to live on my own I'll need money...you know, before I find work."

"Work?" Illica snorted. "Honey, where do you expect to find work?"

"Castle Town."

"Do you know how many young adults go to Castle Town looking for work? A lot, honey."

"Why can't I be one of them?"

"I'm just saying there's a lot of competition, dear."

"So?" Saria kept herself busy even after the floor was clean. The counter was spotless, but she decided it needed to be wiped down anyway.

"Well, let's say you do go of to Castle Town. What type of work would you be looking for?" Illica's tone was infuriating.

"I don't know, but there will be plenty of options."

"Well, let's go over them!" Illica chirped passive-agressively.

Saria pushed down hard on the rag and moved it over the counter in furious little circles.

"I think any labor jobs can be ruled out," Illica began.

"Why? I can do labor."

"Better than a man? No, honey, you can't do labor. So that leaves skilled work, like the artisans and the doctors."

"I can sew."

"Castle Town has an abundance of tailors."

"I could be an assistant."

"When's the last time you came across a tailor with an assistant? Honey, they work alone."

"I can cook."

"Not well enough to compete with the other chefs there. Those are professionals, honey."

Saria didn't respond. She stayed on her knees and stared at the dusty pile of ceramic.

"But that's fine. You don't need to be a professional chef. When you find a husband you won't need to get paid by any body and you will be able to move on from this house."

She again stayed silent.

"Momma!" Junior, Illica's youngest son, came bounding into the kitchen.

"Watch the-" Saria began as two little feet appeared before her eyes. It was too late, however, for a thin shard of ceramic lodged itself into the side of Junior's left arch.

He began to cry.

"I'll take care of his cut," she told Illica.

"Are you sure?"

She picked up Junior and said, "Yeah, I'm good at it...Skilled even."

She left Illica alone in the kitchen, frowning.

* * *

><p>"May I see her for a moment?" Sinal repeated. Black blood dripped out the finger he was pointing towards her.<p>

"No," Arthur said. It was the most pitifully, broken-up 'no' ever spoken, but at least he said it.

Saria buried herself into his back and silently thanked him for it. She never thought she'd enjoy the feeling of that leather vest against her cheek.

"No?" Sinal tilted his head to the side. "Why not? I just want to see her."

With the hand that was gripping his arm, she could feel the sweat seeping through the fabric of his shirt. She should do something. Otherwise he'd be dead in seconds.

"Because you'll hurt her," Arthur croaked.

"Hurt her? No, no. Well, not yet. Not here. I don't have the right...tools."

Sinal moved forward a foot. It was almost as if he glided. Arthur and Saria moved backwards with him.

"But _you..._I can hurt here and now."

_Say something. _Saria just gripped Arthur's arm harder instead.

Sinal reached out towards Arthur as if he was animal about to be pet. Sinal even had the gall to make cooing noises.

Arthur didn't run or take another step back. If he wasn't stricken with fear, he still wouldn't run. He could tell that Sinal would strike him down right then and there if he did anything but stand still.

Sinal placed a finger tip on Arthur's chin. Arthur gritted his teeth and stretched his head back and to the side.

"Do you know what I do to people?"

"Yes."

The monster used a few more fingers to completely take Arthur's face into his grip. "Remind me."

"You turn them insane."

"Right! There ya go! Your mind is weak willed. Weaker than you or others might presume. I come across a lot of minds. Some are strong, confident, healthy. Those are the difficult ones for me to crack..." Sinal turned Arthur's head side to side. "But yours, your self-loathing, monophobic mind will snap easily. "

"Wait-wait-wait," Arthur began to squirm in Sinal's grip, now realizing what was about to happen.

"I'm thinking avoidant personality disorder, since you're already half-way there, and I'll throw in a little PTSD from that time you killed your sister."

"Please, NO!" His legs danced frantically under his body. Sinal had lifted him off the ground four inches.

"But I can always wipe out your consciousness. Make you loose your sense of your surroundings, of who and where you are. You'll be reduced to a drooling mental patient that needs to be hand fed like an infant. I don't do that a lot to my kind, knowing they'll end up as a useless bag of bones that can't follow the simplest orders. But I think I can spare a mind, every now and then. It's fun, to watch someone loose themselves."

Arthur had silenced.

"NO!" Saria screamed. "STOP! LET HIM GO!"

Shockingly, Sinal did just that, and Arthur fell to the ground with a thud. Saria flung herself downward towards his side and after taking a split-second-long period to look in his eyes, she looked up at the monster. An arrow was sideways through his collar bone. He had been shot.

Both Saria and Sinal looked to the side, towards the shooter. A tall, straight man stood there, bow in hand, and a small flicker of favor in his small, beady eyes. The commander.

Sinal stared back at the commander for a good 30 seconds then looked down at Saria. "Pardon me for the wait," he said. "I'm just conflicted on my priorities at the moment."

"You're here for the hero, aren't you?" the commander called.

Sinal looked towards the commander and completely turned his body. He didn't seem conflicted anymore.

"I know where he is."

"Is that so?" The monster began to move away from Saria and Arthur. Saria looked at the commander blankly.

He had already been staring at her. She watched as that flicker of favor moved towards the right. Towards the horses, towards the exit. He was silently telling her to run.

Saria tugged on Arthur's arm as she tried to stand, but Arthur wouldn't budge. She fell back down to her knees and stared into his eyes. She never knew they had so much gold in them.

"Arthur, we have to leave."

Arthur didn't respond.

"Arthur! No Arthur! Please, snap out of it! We have to leave!"

She delivered a blow to his face. The crack of her palm against his cheek was a cousin to thunder. He blinked.

"What are we waiting for?" Arthur chirped as he sprung to his feet. As he took her hand, she managed to smile. The two of them made their way across the village, towards the horses, towards freedom. Her legs felt numb and heavy at the same time, as if she was running in a dream.

Saria looked over her shoulder once. She saw the commander in Sinal's grip, the same grip. The commander was squirming violently, his perfect posture was no more. She knew exactly what had happened. The commander didn't tell him anything.

She then caught sight of something she wished she hadn't. On the edge of the village, there was a group of men, all on their knees, lined up like cattle. Their hands were tied.

She spotted Thomas almost immediately. He looked mortified.

"Wait!" Saria stopped two feet away from the horses, forcing Arthur to as well. They didn't dare let go of each other's hands.

"What?!"

"Thomas."

"Who?!"

"I-..." she turned to look at that poor face again. She knew she was being ridiculous. She was aware that she barley knew Thomas. She knew just how lucky she was to escape Sinal in the first place, how stupid she was being, pushing that luck. But she couldn't leave Thomas behind either, not while knowing the fate that laid before him. His soul was simple and sweet, she wanted to keep it that way. It seemed like a rarity to her.

His eyes were teary, Thomas', red and swollen. He blinked and a few drops ran down his cheeks. He was watching the dark soldier move up and down the line. He then met Saria's gaze and spoke to her silently. _Why is this happening? _he asked her.

An arrow found itself lodged in one of Thomas' teary eyes before she could respond. He fell forward on the ground second's later.

Saria whipped around towards Arthur, who was lowering his bow.

"Why did you-" she stopped herself. She knew exactly why.

Arthur said nothing, knowing he didn't need to, and mounted Company.

Saria was about to mount her stubby mountain steed, but chose a tall, long legged war horse instead. No one would be using it any time soon.

* * *

><p>"It's a miracle we got out of there alive, think nothing less of it."<p>

Saria nodded. "I know...Do you-Do you think he'll follow us?"

Arthur, who was sitting across from her, didn't respond. He was staring into the fire and he did so intensely she had to believe his face was burning.

"Arthur."

He refused to look up, he didn't even raise an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Do you think he'll follow us?"

"Who?"

Saria narrowed her eyes. "..._Sinal_."

"Oh. No. He won't. He's forgotten about us by now. He'll...he'll go after...um..."

"_Link?_" She was becoming rather frustrated. It was as if he was intoxicated.

"Yeah."

Saria nodded and turned her attention towards the leaves beneath her feet. It was quiet only for a moment.

"I didn't kill my sister."

She looked up. He was staring at her now.

"..."

"I don't know why Sinal said that...I don't even have a sister." In a way, his eyes seemed separate from his face. They were wide, round and lit up, like a bush baby's.

She nodded. "Okay."

* * *

><p>The morning air was cold and stiff. The camp from the previous night was obsolete. Only the fire logs remained, covered with soft piles of old grey ash. Saria imagined what other wanderers would think when they came across the scene. Probably nothing, she figured. Nothing worth remembering.<p>

Arthur had been staring at his saddle for a solid 10 minutes, his back turned towards Saria. He seemed to be contemplating whether to mount it or not. Saria

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

He didn't answer. He placed a hand on Company's neck.

"So...I guess this is goodbye," she muttered as casually as possible. She wished Link was there.

He turned to look at her. "Goodbye?"

"I mean...I-..didn't you say you were going home?"

"I'm in no rush."

_It's just Arthur. _"I thought I explained this already. I don't need you to take me home."

"Saria, there's a difference between being brave and being stupid. You and Link can't seem to get that through your heads!"

"It's not about being brave. I just..have to do this alone. I have to."

Arthur broke out an uncomfortable chuckle and looked sideways. "I-" he kept opening his mouth, raising his eyebrows, and shrugging.

"Listen, I know it doesn't make much sense-"

"It doesn't make _any_ sense. Sinal was-... Saria he-" he lifted his hand and gripped the air inches between his face, his fingertips lightly grazing his temple. He seemed as if he had something to say in relation, but he gave it up and dropped his hand to his side.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I don't want you to take me home...but..." she took a bold step towards him. "If _you_ want me to travel with you back...I can." _Say it. Say you need me to go with you._

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

_Coward. "_Arthur, I know what monophobic means."

By his reaction, she could tell he didn't. "Good for you!" he snapped immediately. "If you're so determined to go off alone then do it! Have fun when Sinal finds you!"

"I thought you said he's forgotten about us."

"I know he's forgotten about _me."_

Her stomach cringed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nevermind."

"I'm gonna go home," she murmured.

He didn't respond. He was ruffling through his saddle bag.

"It's only three nights," she said as she watched him. "I'll be okay."

He turned and walked towards her, a large dagger in his hands. He looked down at the blade instead of up at her, he even watched it as it left his hands for hers. "Take this."

"Don't you love this thing?"

"I don't need it where I'm going."

She stared at the blade for a moment too long for when she looked back up, Arthur had already mounted Company. He didn't seem like he had any intention of saying goodbye. Saria thought that was bullshit.

"I hope you find what you're looking for."

"I'm not looking for anything," he muttered.

She frowned up at him, not being able to tell if she meant what she said, she did it without thinking.

"In the end, I'm glad I met you." That she meant.

Arthur paused for a moment, reins in hands, and looked down at her. She realized he was not looking into her eyes, but looking at her lower forehead. "So am I."

"Goodbye Arthur."

"Good luck," he said tersely and sincerely before galloping off. Saria had never seen him travel so quickly.

_Three nights._

* * *

><p>That night, the first night, Saria learned just how loud a fire can be. She sat there, turning Arthur's dagger in her hand and admiring the way the light hit the metal. She couldn't tell if it was silver or black it was so mirrored and at the right angle, she could see her reflection perfectly.<p>

She hadn't looked at herself in so long. Her face was dirty, so dirty she was almost angry Link and Arthur hand't mentioned it. But on the other hand, they were probably even dirtier. She was pretty sure if she hadn't grown so used to their scents, she would be able to smell their musks from miles away.

She noticed there was an aged smudge of blood on her left cheek. She immediately assumed it belonged to Link; there was always a part of him left on her. But she soon turned back on that theory, remembering she hand't touched Link since before he left. She wasn't even the one that stitched him up. She bet his stitches were falling out by now or even infected.

Confused, she lifted her fingers towards the stain and rubbed two fingers against it. In an instant, the color miraculously changed from crimson to brown. It was mud.

She frowned and rubbed the rest of it off. She knew she wasn't going to sleep that night, she knew she would travel instead. She also knew sitting around the fire wasn't doing her any good, it would only make her want to stay for the night, stay by the warmth and by the light. So she packed up the little she had out, which was a large proportion of what she had in total, and got going.

The mountain trail was wider than she remembered. She kept looking to her side for no reason and found herself staring at either the mountain side or the inky sky for the majority of the night. Staring ahead while turning each corner made her anxious.

She also repeatedly looked down at her saddle bag to make sure Arthur's dagger was still there. A horrible nightmare kept dawning on her where she had lost it and wouldn't realize until the worst possible moment.

She realized soon that it wasn't the best idea to travel at night while she was still fairly north. She should've known how cold it would be and how little she was prepared. She had left her parka along with most of her other clothes in the mountain village. She couldn't imagine how cold Arthur was, that far up north. She hoped he was okay, since he could easily not be.

* * *

><p>Saria had always prided herself on her honesty. Not necessarily to those around her, but to herself. Her mind was never very adept at fooling itself, making it believe it was thinking or feeling something it wasn't; she never found herself in extreme denial. If she felt a certain way about something, she was almost always fully aware of it. She wasn't sure how often she shared or acted upon said feeling, that was a separate matter, but at least she was aware of it.<p>

For instance, she knew she missed Link and Arthur's company. She didn't want to, but she did, and there was no ignoring it. She also took note of the fact that she missed Link more than Arthur and she wished he was there beside her. She would have someone relatively sane to talk to and she would feel safer. Again, she didn't want to feel unsafe without him, but she couldn't ignore the feeling.

She also knew she was scared of the eastern forest, not of the body of trees itself, but just the thought of traveling through it alone. The memory of that campsite still clawed its way into her thoughts every now and then, especially when Link and Arthur weren't there to distract her. It was so quiet and so dark, it was hard not to think about her attack. She shouldn't even refer to it as an attack, she told herself, since nothing really happened. But she wasn't sure how to refer to it. It didn't matter, really, since she'd only be referring to it to herself.

She didn't want to think about that moment, and maybe that was a form of denial within itself, but she wanted to make it through these nights as quickly and as efficiently as possible, just so she could say she did it. She didn't think she had to burden her mind to do so. Instead, as she passed through the northern barrier, she busied her mind by thinking about what she would do with herself when she returned home. That didn't make her feel much better.

The forest laid ahead of her, She decided she would camp for the second night, close She wouldn't travel through the forest at night. For some reason, she thought she'd be safe during light hours. That was stupid of her, of course.

Choosing a camp site out of the northern region proved to be more difficult than Saria expected. Sleeping alone out in the open in Hyrule field, she might as well fall asleep in the eastern forest in her under garments with the fire lit.

The sun was going down awfully fast, as if it had a poor day and was ready to start the next one. The darker it became, the clearer her predicament became. Any sensible traveler would camp in the forest, where there was shelter and coverage. But Saria knew, as a young woman, that her sensibility had been compromised by cowardliness.

And, at the same time, she needed to remember what these three nights were about and why she turned down Arthur's offer so repeatedly. It was about being alone, being alone in an unideal situation.

Letting her fear of the eastern forest affect her decisions would make her journey of solitude pointless, and she knew that, and even though there was no pressing reason to do so, she knew she had to camp there for the night. The second night would be the hardest.

She camped twenty feet into the forest and refused to light a fire. She wouldn't because she was afraid the light would draw attention to her, obviously. It wasn't too cold out that night, she told herself this in confidence.

* * *

><p>She awoke to uncertainty, uncertain of how long she had really slept the second night, uncertain if she had slept at all, and uncertain of her motives. She remembered staying up, listening, listening to every rustle, every cricket, every little, tiny sound. She remembered thinking about Sinal, then desperately trying not to think about Sinal, then thinking about him even more. She remembered being able to feel the pulse of her temple against the rags that she called sheets.<p>

She did not remember falling asleep. Yet, before she knew it, the morning sun was peaking through the tree leaves.

To her dismay, she found herself being depressed by the light that shone so gayly through her tent . She didn't see the point in rising when the purpose of her day was to retire for the night.

She welcomed this feeling like an old woman would welcome death, she had been expecting and thus accepted its cruel visit. She did, however, deem the visit as rude and uncomfortably early. She thought her journey would give her purpose for the mean time, at least until she returned to Kiorki, but apparently it wasn't enough.

She didn't even bother to lace up her boots. She recalled the image of Link dressing himself in the morning and treated herself to an ironic smile. Fate forced motivation onto him whether he wanted it or not. He couldn't save anyone with unkept hair. Gods forbid he trip on a boot lace.

She pondered what Illica's motivation was and failed to think of anything.

As the morning hours passed by, the sunlight seemed to be apologizing for starting her day and lit up the forest in the most charming manner. It was beautiful, the splotches of gold on the forest floor, the dust twinkling in the heavenly columns ahead; it was hard to stay mad at the sunlight. She wouldn't have been able to see it if it hadn't woken her up. She noticed her mood changing and let herself know of it, surprised by the bipolar phenomena. She even had the energy to sing herself a little song, a horrible little song with a deceiving tune.

"_Under the water and back again_

"_Don't drown,_

_Don't be Ben._

_You can jump,_

_You can dive,_

_Just don't fall in_,"

She did a double take when she came a strange tree. She leaned forward to look past it, assuring there wasn't a shape lurking behind it. "Don't you die...Poor Ben..."

Nothing. She smiled. It wouldn't matter either way.

"_He fell back then_

_Fell and died_

_...his mother cried..._

_...Under the water and back again..._

_...Don't drown..._

_...Don't be Ben._"

She heard voices up ahead and thought nothing of it. In fact, she was surprised she hadn't run into anyone thus far, considering she was on the main trail.

His horse was lovely, this young man passing by. It had this spectacular dabbled grey coat that welcomed the sunlight's visit with the most admirable hospitality. The other horse, the one that belonged to an older man, blended in with the trail, making its movements disorienting. The two men were deep in conversation as they passed by. She made an effort to meet their eyes and exchange a greeting. The three of them were lucky to share the sunlight.

The two men greeted her with an curt, hasty 'how you doin'?', before returning to each other's attention. The younger one looked up and gave a lethargic tick of his hand. He had these incredible golden eyes.

He was five feet past her when she realized. She didn't look back, she just stared ahead at the heavily columns with Arthur's bush-baby eyes.

She's been told there's a difference between being brave and being stupid. She shouldn't sacrifice logic for the sake of being brave, something that her and Link apparently can't comprehend. The truth is what she has always known and will forever believe; to be brave, logic often must be abandoned. There are times when they go hand in hand, of course, when survival instincts kick in or when the greater good is put above the petty individual. But other times, it comes down to the preference of said individual. The crossroad of being brave or being logical is in the genetic code, the instinct of 'fight or flight'. When instinct is taken out of the equation, when there is choice rather than reaction, whether the 'fight' is worth the idiotic risk comes into question. Whether the life that is saved from being logical, from flighting, would be equal in value to a life that survived the fight. Whether risking a life is necessary to actually begin living it.

"Excuse me."

The two men stopped and turned to see a young woman holding the most reflective dagger.


	50. Chapter 50: Saria's Moment

**Chapter 50: Saria's Moment**

She had never stabbed anything before this moment. She'd be lying if she said she never thought of it.

The knifes in Illica's kitchen always seemed too flimsy, how could such a thin, flat piece of metal pierce through human flesh with one stab? Would it even cut through bone? It never made much sense.

But in this moment, it was indisputable. The dagger, Arthur's dagger, had a thick, sturdy and sharp point that was made of bone's stronger, shinier cousin. However, no, it did not pierce through bone. She didn't need it to. She never intended to kill him.

Both men were cowards in their own way. The stranger, who Saria did not care for, fled the second conflict arose. He was afraid and choose 'flight'. The man who claimed his name was James radiated sickening confidence and didn't shy away from a fight. But James cowardliness took form of a shriveled little ball of tar that grew in secret and slowly spoiled the soul it dwelled deep inside.

The tar made its move once James realized this was a fight he would not win and, therefore, was not worth fighting. He ran away, cursing Saria as a 'crazy bitch' and dripping with blood.

In defense of her morals and sanity, Saria did not attack James at first, she simply stood there and waited for him to deserve it. It didn't take long.

He first forgot who she was. He then, still not recalling his former victim, tried to charm her for the second time once she introduced herself. Both actions were extremely insulting.

She refused to remind him. She refused to speak another word until his pathetic mind wrapped around her face. She would stay silent until he was forced to think.

When he finally remembered her, he didn't take her or the situation seriously. He asked if her body guard was around, referring to Link, and teased her for being melodramatic. This attitude, of course, was his third offense.

The fourth was easily the worse. He casually asked her if she had changed her mind, if she had come back to him for, as he so civilly put, for 'a fun hour or two'. He was an alien to her, how he could exist was beyond her. When he began to engage her and when she warned him to keep his distance, things escalated just as she had wanted them to.

Now, James was gone. He had left his horse behind full of stolen goods and foods. With a hand on his side, he had crawled away in the direction of the Northern Mountains, leaving her forest. She hoped he would run into Sinal. She decided not to pray to Hylia for said outcome, for hoping was the darkest invocation she could muster.

When she was alone, slightly stained with blood and dagger in hand, she cried out in victory.

"_Yes!_" she wailed with a red face. She jumped up and down like a kid. "Yes! Yes!" She fell to the ground and threw her legs in the air, bending and unbending them in insane pleasure. She even found her self weeping she was so overjoyed. A few punches were thrown into the air. She looked like a fool. Lucky she was alone. She was all alone.

When her adrenaline died out, she closed her eyes and breathed, "I can do this." And she could do it alone.


	51. Chapter 51: Arthur Alone

**_Chapter 51: Arthur Alone_**

It was uncanny how fast Arthur could run when he was in trouble. He leapt over the last five steps of the stairs while barreling down them, and while usually he'd find himself slipping, he landed cleanly, and continued through the kitchen without hesitation.

"It was nice meeting you!" he called towards the upstairs.

"You asshole!" a feminine voice cursed from above. "My father will kill you!"

"Like to see him try!" he sang before slipping out the back door.

As he made his way across the yard towards the town he could not remember the name of, the young woman poked her head out the window and yelled, "You know what? Fuck you!"

"Fuck me? You already did!"

"I never want to see you here ever again!"

The 17-year old Arthur gracefully spun around and walked backwards to look the girl in the eye, grinned a genuine smile and called, "No skin off my back!"

He then bolted through the town for no reason but the thrill of it and said good morning to every face he came across. He might as well have been the sun; he was flying so high and glowing so bright.

* * *

><p>"Why are you crying?" A young boy, roughly the age of 10, was standing beside Arthur and was not noticed until he spoke.<p>

Arthur turned his attention away from the fire and towards the young stranger, leaving half of his face golden.

"Where'd you come from?" To the vagabond, the boy had miraculously materialized out of the night sky. "Where are your parents?"

"I ran away."

"Ah…well, you shouldn't have."

The boy shrugged.

"It's not safe to be out here alone."

"You're here."

"I am, but not for long. I'm leaving in the morning. And you'll get lost. Do you even know where you're going?"

"Do you even know where you're going?" the boy sneered back.

"I'm not sure."

"So how come you can be alone and not know where you're going but I can't?"

Arthur smirked. "You're too young. I'm too young. I shouldn't be alone and I should know where I'm going. I should go home. And so should you."

"I don't want to go home."

"Me neither. But until you're old enough to live somewhere else, you don't really have a choice."

The boy began to groan and whine.

Arthur shushed him. "Knock it off. Better to live at home then be dead!"

"Dead?"

"I told you, it's dangerous to be out here."

"Cuz of the monsters?"

"There are thieves and—wait, what monsters? You mean bears and wolves?"

"No, the black monsters."

"Black?"

"Yup! Johnny told me he saw one!"

"Did he say what it looked like?"

"Like a grown up."

"That's not a monster, just a man with different colored skin. He's probably not from where you live."

"No, Johnny has an uncle with dark skin and he said it looked different."

Arthur now felt he was the racist one. "Oh. Well, there's no monsters this far north. Maybe your friend saw something else."

"Maybe," the boy shrugged.

"What's your name?"

"Henry."

"Wanna see something cool?"

"Yeah!"

After showing Henry his weapons and scars, Arthur engaged the boy in play. He sent him on a scavenger hunt in the forest, collecting stones and nuts, with the promise of a reward when he returned. He dared him to climb a tall tree and when the boy refused, he did it himself and mocked the boy from above.

He showed Henry how to stoke a fire then lit a branch and let the boy prance around with it like he was summoning a fire god.

He dazzled the boy's young mind by sharing his stories, mostly involving women and theft. It didn't occur to him that the content was too mature. Henry didn't seem to mind.

Arthur loved this young boy, what fun he was! To every challenge he proposed Henry agreed with uncanny enthusiasm.

They saw how long each other could stand without air. They tested how far they could throw stones. They raced through the trees and threw pinecones at each other.

Arthur hadn't felt so free in weeks and cursed himself for letting the feeling slip away from him for so long. Those weeks he would never get back, as time passed, he would only grow older, more dull, and 10 years, maybe less, from that exact hour of play, he'd be sleeping. Link had taught him this.

While searching for him amongst the trees, Arthur sung a song to make his play mate anxious.

"_Under the water and back again_

_Don't drown,_

_Don't be Ben!"_

He heard a snicker and grinned.

_"You can jump!_

_You can dive!_

_Just don't fall in_

_Don't you die!"_

He checked behind the trees, expecting to find Henry with his back pressed up against the bark. The little boy was no where to be found.

"_Poor Ben..._

_He fell back then_

_...Fell and died_

_His mother cried..."_

Arthur suddenly became frightened. He couldn't hear anything but his own singing voice, which was awfully loud, and silenced himself. He couldn't see anything anymore, despite being able to make out the shapes of the trees minutes ago.

He was all alone now. As far as he was concerned, Henry had left him. Left him to die alone. He would be nothing soon. He would disappear deep in the forest, with no others around him to take record of it or even see it take place, he would die alone and no one would remember him. If he could choose how he'd die, it'd be a public execution, surrounded by both loved ones and strangers.

He swallowed and ticked his head in different directions. The trees had left him, even the stars in the sky had left him, abandoned him.

"Henry!" Arthur cried. "Henry, come out! Don't leave me! Henry!"

He bolted through the trees, crying out for the boy like a maniac.

He refused to be alone, and sure enough, he wasn't.

Upon nearly running into two adults before him, he screamed and fell backwards. They were Henry's parents, which Arthur realized once he spotted the boy hugging the father's leg.

"Henry!" Arthur cried in relief.

"Who are you?" the father demanded. "What do you want with my son?"

"Henry, I thought you left me!" Arthur said as he got up and took a step towards the boy.

"Hey!" the father pushed him back. "Who are you?! What did you do to my son?"

"We were just playing." Arthur drew an arm over his teary eyes. He looked crazy. He glanced down at Henry and took a step forward. The father threw a hand on Arthur's chest and pushed him back.

"Back off, pervert!"

Arthur frowned and pushed back against the father. "Pervert? I'm not a pervert! Henry, tell them I didn't do anything!" He couldn't stand someone thinking that, couldn't stand someone thinking something untrue.

He then made a horrible mistake; while continuing to push against the father, he reached out to touch Henry. Thus, he was thrown backwards and beaten mercilessly.

The massive man, comfortably on top of the poor vagabond, delivered blow after blow to the nose, cheek and eyes.

Arthur didn't struggle, he had fallen limp and allowed the father to take out his anger until he saw fit. It was easier that way, easier and fair.

Henry was crying. It was probably the sound above all that disturbed the child, the sound of his father's knuckles pounding on a skull and denting cartilage. There was no other sound to hear, Arthur didn't say or scream a word. There was nothing to see either, it was too dark for the child to make out the little spurts of blood that flew out of Arthur's nose or the tinted saliva spilling out the side of his mouth. So it must have been the sound.

Minutes later, Arthur was alone, lying down on the forest floor, chocking on his own blood. One of his eyes was swollen shut with skin so tight and dark it resembled that of a plum.

With one eye he stared up at the night sky and wondered what Sinal had done to him, why his mind was bruised as badly as his face.

It was his fault he was alone, he knew that. It was always his fault. He knew he would never make it home. He can never go home again.

It was funny, really, how someone who adores life could despise themselves.


	52. Chapter 52: Power

_**I NEED YOUR GUYS HELP PLEASE VOTE FOR MY STORY ON FOR THE FANFICTION WRITING CONTEST! PLEASE!**_!

_**THIS MEANS THE WORLD TO ME I LITERALLY PULLED 2 ALL NIGHTERS TO GET ATL READY FOR THE CONTEST AND I DONT HAVE A SHOT WITHOUT VOTES**_

Chapter 52: Power

To his surprise, this was not his greatest challenge. It was difficult, of course, it was extremely difficult, so difficult he wouldn't have been able to accomplish the feat if he had tackled it before the many others. Only his new calloused skin and mature, and, consequently, pessimistic mind could take on such an exhausting and dangerous temple. But personally, in his mind, this was not his greatest challenge. Compared to the complexity and size of the temple that tested his wisdom, putting stress on his body came naturally; it seemed straight forward to push himself through physical pain and discomfort rather than mental. All he had to do was tell himself to do it, there was no decision making or mental limitations involved.

Getting to the temple of power was probably more frustrating then the temple itself.

* * *

><p>The natives of the canyon region, not matter the age, were just as immature and just as obnoxious as teenagers.<p>

They were light on their feet and hopped from each canyon ledge with ease, leaving Link behind. They looked like squirrels.

"_Wait!_" he called, clinging to the side of a cliff he had missed the ledge of.

"No one waits for the powerful!" they teased from ahead.

He lost his footing and was sent sliding downwards, little specks of red debris uplifting from his boots. He braced, painfully forced himself to a halt, and grimaced as a drop of sweat trickled from his forehead into his eye. "I can't climb this fast!"

"Ah, but you can!" a younger one, the first one he had met, perched himself onto of the cliff Link was clinging to and looked down at him. "Your pessimism is holding you back!"

"No," he breathed. "I'm not being pessimistic, I'm being realistic! I'm physical unable to pull myself up! I'm not strong enough! My mentality has nothing to do with it!" He slid a few feet further and cried out. He despised heights. "I'm gonna fall. Help me!"

"No!"

"If I die, you and your entire tribe will follow!"

"Oh, so you are pretty important, huh?"

"Yes!"

"Then you probably should save yourself, should you not?" He disappeared.

Link hollered, "I'll kill you!"

"You will have to catch me first, hero!"

He was tired of being called that; it was almost always in a derogatory manner. He recently developed a belief that people should start treating him like a hero if they were gonna call him one.

His forearms began to shake.

A few seconds later, the native's head poked over the edge again. "Huh. You're still not up yet."

"Yeah, no shit!"

"I thought your frustration would give you energy."

"An emotion can't give you energy," he growled.

"Yes, it can! It gives you power!"

"Well I'm pretty fucking frustrated right now and I'm not moving an inch!"

The native lied down and rested his head in his hand. "I thought you would be better than this."

"Hey, asshole, you're asking a lot! I can't climb 300 foot canyon walls this fast!"

"A man half your size did it the other day."

"Good for him! Think I care?"

"You are giving up so soon! How do you expect to save the world when you can not even climb a cliff?"

"I can't save the world if I'm dead!"

"I bet you are a small man who can not make a living or satisfy a wife."

Link fell silent. He didn't have the energy to respond. He would fall any second. He might as well let go. No point in hanging there and being insulted. What a depressing way to die, running out of energy to hold on and ultimately breaking your neck.

The native furrowed his brow then said, "Mind if I fuck your mother once you die?"

"What?!"

"When you fall and die can I have sex with your mother?"

"I-.." Link couldn't even fathom the question it was so odd. "N-no, you can't!"

"What about your sister?"

"Help me up!"

"What about that brown eyed girl?"

"W-"

"The green eyed one?"

Red in the face, Link dropped his head in exhaustion then back up again and, with one eye closed, breathed, "Saria? How do you know her?"

"I did not. But now I do. How about I fuck her?"

The word 'fuck' sounded odd in his accent; natives in Link's mind were sheltered and spoke in archaic, harmless words. 'Fuck' seemed so vulgar, so contemporary. Because of this, it sounded all the more insulting.

"You can't fuck anyone! What's wrong with you?!"

"Well, you will be dead. You will have no say in it…and neither will her!"

He disappeared again.

Even though he knew the native was lying, Link couldn't let him get away with it, whether it was the action itself or just the threat of doing it.

Up he went.

When he was on solid ground, the native was running from him. The perverted coward. He was about to leap of the edge.

Link, furious, bolted after him, one long stride after the other. The native jumped, Link followed, landing roughly on top of the pervert a foot from the edge. A small cloud of dust arose around them.

"You climbed up!" the native cheered before Link could deliver a blow.

He paused. "Yeah, well, whatever."

The native squirmed out from under him. "You come off as an impatient, prideful narcosis, which I'm sure you are...But targeting that was not enough to get you up the cliff...you fight for a different reason, do you not? Come on, we are almost there, Link."

Why did his name sound so odd?

"….Okay."

* * *

><p>Link learned the native called himself Okeno and followed him all the way to the temple's entrance. Okeno had slowed his pace and occasionally looked over his shoulder to make sure Link did indeed not fall and die.<p>

If he wasn't so focused on his footing and exhaustion, he would have appreciated the beauty of the canyons, especially with the low evening sun illuminating their surfaces. He had never seen anything like it in person. The only reason he wasn't completely taken off guard by their incredible formation and color was that he had seen a painting of the area when he was 15.

Now, he was moving so fast it was all an orange blur with the occasional sharp rock or crimson abyss.

The other natives were waiting for them in front of the temple's entrance; a simple wooden gate smeared with a red substance, terra cotta clay, perhaps. In his home town, they would stick out like a sore thumb. They wore jewelry made of stone and bone and their clothes had no sense of frivolous fashion, just necessity.

One of the older ones, a tall man with nearly white hair, said something to him in the language of the gods, the language he has yet to learn.

Okeno translated:

"He says he is surprised you have made it this far…But you..." he paused as the elder continued, hesitating to translate to Link. He then said something to the elder in his own language.

"What'd he say?" Link asked.

"He does not want you to go to the temple."

"What?! Why did you even lead me here?"

"I-" Okeno appeared as dumbfounded as Link. "I was under the impression that, given your situation, they would make an exception."

"An exception?"

"Usually outsiders aren't allowed into the temple. Their not even allowed to get this close."

The elder said something bitter to Okeno and they suddenly launched into a heated back and forth.

"What's going on?" Link demanded.

"There is a reason we keep our gate closed. Outside influences destroy our culture. He does not like that I have brought you here. He has never liked me because I speak your language."

Link rolled his eyes. "You people are just like the Zoras. Did you tell him who I was?"

"Of course! He said you would only bring danger."

"Why is that?"

Okeno asked.

"You," the elder said to Link in a thick accent. "Come here and talk of the sage."

"I didn't say anything about the-" he looked at Okeno guilty face and silenced. "Listen, I'm here to help. Forget the sage, whoever it may be."

The elder gave up speaking Link's tongue.

"This legend is your legend, not ours," Okeno translated in a mutter. "You come here and think you can solve our problems, like we can not do so ourselves."

"I'm tired of people not believing me," Link growled. "I can't control where I was born. I'm meant to save everyone, including you! It doesn't matter where I come from, because I'll always be an outsider somewhere."

"Go home," the chief said.

"I can't. I have to go inside."

Okeno translated:

"The only way you could gain access is if you bring him a sacred stone hidden deep within-"

Link silenced him with a flick of his hand. "No, fuck that."

Okeno smothered a smile.

"I don't have time to run errands. This is war, people are dying," he drew his sword. "And I'm going inside that temple."

"He says 'how dare you?'"

"How dare me? How dare _you_? You're afraid of your culture being destroyed by people who are different than you so you're just fucking racist and you're trying to send the hero of legends on a scavenger hunt just to please you and even if it's to 'prove my worth' or whatever, I don't have to prove myself to you!"

The chief said something to the rest of his tribe. They took stance.

"Listen," Link said. "I don't want to fight you, mostly because I really, really don't feel like it, but also because it's useless bloodshed. I'm gonna win. Chances are I'm gonna win. I don't know what type of gods you worship but I'm almost positive my gods are on my side and I can hear how ignorant and rude I'm sounding right now but I'm tired and angry and behind schedule, apparently, so please let me through."

Okeno stumbled. "Ah, do you want me to translate that?"

"Sure."

"Okay, what was it again?"

"OH MY GODS!" Link cried out in frustration and lunged towards the entrance, prepared to ram through the chief if he didn't move.

The chief held a hand up and shouted something.

"_Wait!_"

Link skidded to a halt. "What?"

"There's no need for violence," Okeno translated from behind. "You have proven your worth."

"...I did?"

"Real power is specific to the individual. Sometimes it is defeating an army, sometimes it is standing up for yourself and-"

"Yeah that's great," Link muttered and walked right by.

* * *

><p>This was not his greatest challenge. Perhaps it was due to his strange mentality going into the temple or just the simplicity of the temple itself, but either way he was able to conquer it in half the time it took him to conquer the wisdom one.<p>

There were still some locked doors and hidden keys that he found obnoxiously unnecessary, considering this was testing his power not his intelligence. However, he soon decided that every difficulty he came across would test his power in some shape or form. Solving the temple's intricate tricks was exhausting and therefore he had to be powerful enough to continue.

He went through this temple with a fire in his belly. He wanted to complete it and complete it fast. The sooner the better. He didn't think about the tasks that laid before him once he was finished, the loneliness that awaited him, the long journey to the desert, finding the sword. He only thought about this temple, one step at a time. He basically rammed down doors without them even being locked he was in such a testosterone, adrenaline fueled rage.

Needless to say he destroyed any enemy he came across in mere seconds.

The worse aspect of the temple was the heat. It was so hot inside for some reason; probably because it was buried underneath layers of sun-bathed canyon rock. And there was no water besides the little amount he had on him. He had drunk all of it before 15 minutes had passed. It was as if he had never conquered the temple of wisdom at all.

He didn't let that slow him down, at least that's what he told himself. He slowed down.

But he never stopped. Even if he was lost or confused, he kept moving. Such an odd mentality, this was. It consumed his thoughts. Once he conquered this, he could rest, he could sleep, he could eat. He just had to brace it, slowing down, trying to make it more comfortable would do him no good. He just had to suffer for now.

The temple wasn't the most challenging, that was for certain, however the last stage of the temple, that damned god-like creature that seemed to be able to survive for an uncertain amount of time with out food or water, was the most difficult of the three, considering he didn't even have to kill the fist one. His enemy did that for him.

It was an odd mountainous reptile, one may even go far enough to call it a dragon, that was uncanny in size and was covered with scales that could take a beating from any known blade. It was not difficult to figure out how to kill it, its underbelly was soft like that of a common lizard's, but it was difficult to carry out said action. The monster was fast, strong, and saw Link as nothing more than a bug.

There was no secret weakness to the beast or hidden strategy to kill it. He just had to do it and do it fast.

There were times when the thing didn't even bite, it just rammed its skull into Link's hands and pushed, torturing every muscle in Link's forearms.

There were also times it didn't attack at all. It would launch itself into a wall and stay there, staring at his bug. It seemed to be planning an attack or taking in its surroundings or even just taking a break. It did this until Link became antsy and hollered, red and sweaty in the face,

"Come on, coward! Get up and fight!"

If Link, past or future, were to look to this moment and watch his behavior, he would not recognize himself.

How he managed to defeat the thing was beyond him. He knew the manner in which he killed it, of course; he had the beast's upper and lower jaw in each hand, holding them wide and open so the thing couldn't snap its jaws down on him like it had attempted, and after holding it at bay for a good 15 seconds, he threw each jaw to the side in opposite directions until one snapped. The lower one broke first. But how he was physically able to break the dragon's jaw was a mystery. He was exhausted towards the end of the battle and even on a good day his arms were not strong enough to break the bones of a 20 foot monster.

As he held the jaws of the beast open, staring into its throat, there was this sudden rush of power that surged through him that made the bone of the lower jaw feel like a carrot.

Once the thing was writhing on the ground in confusion and pain, its jaw hanging out and to the side, Link felt the tiniest prick of sympathy. It was just a mindless animal, it didn't make much sense to kill the thing over the ones that truly deserved it. But what made Link end its life, what drove him to slide his sword through the thing's unprotected stomach, was a sudden and rather depressing realization; real power was cruel and unjust.

* * *

><p>The feeling, the new, incredible feeling, didn't take over Link until he exited the temple and absorbed the incredible site of the deep red and orange canyons before him. This feeling was an over whelming sense of joy, confidence, energy, invisibility and well being. He saw Okeno loitering about the entrance.<p>

"How was the temple?" Okeno asked.

Link grinned, ran to the young native, placed his hand on his shoulders and cheered, "Okeno! It was wonderful! I feel amazing!"

"Good!"

"_Great!_ Okeno, do you know what this means?!"

"Er.."

"It means I've become who I'm supposed to be!" Link made his way to the ledge and stared out towards the horizon, the even sun setting. "I feel like nothing can stop me!"

"Well in that case," Okeno joined his side. "Race with me back to the gate. No cliff should hold you back now."

"Hell, I feel like I could fly!"

And as he leapt from cliff to cliff, flawlessly picking himself up if he fell, he might as well have been flying.

When they reached the gate, Link gave Okeno a genuine goodbye, which, in his case, were rare. He tried not to think about it, but he really did wish he had said a proper goodbye to Saria and Arthur. Things just seemed...incomplete this way.

He liked Okeno, despite his taunting earlier. There was something about his youthful yet mature and intelligent nature that was attractive to Link, he saw someone both very familiar yet extremely foreign. He also got a kick out of his accent and how he refused to use contractions. He wouldn't have minded having Okeno work for him on the ranch.

He was, for some odd reason, disappointed not to see the guard from before on the other side of the gate. He wasn't sure what he would have done, but he felt like he was radiating the attitude of _I proved you wrong. _In his mind, all he would have to do was walk by.

The tavern was alive with activity. He remembered what he had promised himself and he wasn't going to deny himself of the simple reward of a late night drink. He didn't realize how hypocritical this was, considering his rant to the chief about wasting time. It would just be one drink though, and what better way to make a feeling of invincibility last than alcohol?

He had forgotten how small he felt next to these men. Link was not a small person in all ways imaginable, yet at 6 foot he felt like a midget.

The man next to him had to be a monster of sorts. His back was a least 3 feet across. And how could a person have that much hair on their body?

In his hand was a normal sized glass which contained iced whiskey. In his giant mitt, it looked like a shot glass. Link didn't make eye contact and sipped his whiskey in peace. A musician played simple folk in the corner. Link closed his eyes and took a breath. It had been so long since he had heard music.

He felt a huge mass land on his shoulder and shake him. A laugh rumbled from a deep, large throat.

"You falling asleep there, kid?"

"Ah, no," Link gave a half smile and returned to his drink.

A drunk next to him began to stir, clumsily getting off his stool, and threw his weight into Link. He grimaced and leaned away.

The intoxicated glut slid his arm over the table as he departed and spilled strong scotch over Link's right hand, over his glove.

He cursed bitterly and slipped off his glove. That smell would be there for a while. As he wiped his dripping right hand with a towel, a pair of eyes took notice. Before he knew it, his right wrist was in the hands of a hairy monster.

"You got a tribal burn or some shit?"

"Let go!"

He wouldn't.

"Holy shit, is that the-"

Link took hold of the man's wrist and twisted it.

The man cried out and dropped Link's hand.

"Ah, sorry." He wasn't sorry, but he knew hurting the guy was probably a mistake.

The man glared deeply at Link, then glanced downwards.

Suddenly, Link's stool was pulled out from under him and he came crashing to the floor.

He looked up and saw the man laughing above him. _Don't do it, just walk away, don't do it._

Down came the hairy monster, his stool leg in Link's hand. With a devilish smirk upon his face, Link chirped, "Ha."

Before he knew it, he was lying in the man's shadow.

Whether the man was extremely popular or whether the bar was just full of bored drunks itching for a fight was unknown, but soon enough the entire bar seemed to be against Link.

He was first pushed into the arms of another giant, then held still by his shoulders while the hairy monster cocked back a fist. Link, however, threw his head back into the man's forehead, pulled his arm free, elbowed that man in the nose, and ducked, allowing the hairy monster's first to land square into the other giant's face. Down he came. He then, crouching on the floor skillfully, swung out his leg and tripped the monster. And down he came.

"Get that fucker!" the monster snapped.

The second Link was on his feet, a new, bald giant came stormed towards him. He simply stepped to the side, took the baldie's torso in a specific grip, and flipped him onto the ground. He just lifted 210 pounds without realizing it.

And down he came.

The most impressive thing was when one threw a punch his way and he caught the man's fist mid air. He then threw his own punch to the attackers face that sent him to the other side of the room. And down he came.

He became super natural. A young man of his size, nothing special, a few muscles here and there, was able to take out an entire bar. He ducked even before he saw the whiskey bottle being thrown his way, he watched giants fall with one or two blows, he danced around their jabs and attacks like he had no weight at all.

When it was all over, he was in awe.

"Did you see that?!" he asked the server. "Did you see what I just did?!"

"Please get out."

"Yeah, alright," he threw the server a valuable rupee. Perfect pass.

* * *

><p>When he exited the tavern, he saw the old guard by the gate, probably returning for his night shift. Link strolled right up.<p>

"You want to go through again?!"

He didn't even slow down. The second he was close enough, he threw a punch up into the guard's gut. And down he came, gasping for breath.

Link bent over him and searched his pockets, found his precious little blue hoops, and walked away, putting them back on his southern ears.

He spotted his beloved horse and ran up to her, calling out her name in excitement. He celebrated with her. He had to celebrate with someone. He lifted his arms in grand gestures until she became just as excited as he was. The two were soon leaping around each other like a couple of dolts, cheering.

He soon calmed himself and his horse and pulled her close to him, resting his forehead on hers, and whispered in a heavy breath, "I can do this. I can do this. I know I can."

She snorted.

He gracefully swung onto her back and threw her into a full gallop, racing out of the town with dusting flying up behind her hooves.

They leapt over canyon abysses like they were cracks. He loved the pounding of her hooves against the hard stone ground, it was so rhythmic and dramatic he felt as if it was his own heart beat.

When they broke of of Kasashi, they had nothing but open field ahead of them. They could run forever.

Link let his feeling of speed and power and invincibility take him over, it was something he should cherish, he might never get it again. As Epona charged on in full gallop, he carefully placed his feet underneath him on top of the saddle and slowly began to rise. He was soon crouching, practically standing, barely holding on to the reins.

It was quite an impressive sight, him balancing on top of speeding horse. "WOOOO!" he cheered as they charged through Hyrule field.

It was a sad fact, saddened further by him not knowing it, that this feeling would not last.

In fact, it would be replaced. It would be replaced by the inevitable realization that this was all too easy, the three temples, that is. He just had to fight a few enemies, solve a few puzzles, and endure a little hardship. Now he was on his way to tie up a few loose ends and then kill Sinal, this would all be over in a matter of weeks, maybe even days.

This feeling would make his stomach churn and his heart race. It would ruin his day, once it hit. Could it really be that easy?

Of course not.

_To be continued..._

* * *

><p>Part one is complete<p> 


	53. Chapter 53: Part 2 Introduction

**Please check out my original work loosely based off ATL on fictionpress (look under my pen name to find it)**

**PART 2: WISDOM **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Introduction<strong>_

I don't know how old I am. The people around me think this is strange. They know their ages and for some reason that's important. They even celebrate the date of their birth. How they remember such a thing is beyond me. Link celebrated his 19th not too long ago. I remember they spent the day in a bar with whores on their laps.

He hates that I don't know my age, he knows he could easily be eye-fucking a 14 year old and that bothers him. Not enough to stop though.

When I really want to hurt him, I call him a pervert. He gets really upset when I do that and calls me everything he can think of. I can't call him that too often though, otherwise it'll loose its sting. That's what happened with 'bastard'.

My writing seems to bother him as well. Well, I'm not sure if he actually has an issue with it, but he does watch me write with a peculiar expression. He might be jealous. He doesn't really know how to read or write. I like to hurt him, but I wouldn't dare call him stupid. It wouldn't be fun anymore if I did that.

And he's not stupid. He has that type of intelligence that's difficult to see or explain. Only people who are very close to him know he's smart.

He's not as smart as me, mind you, I'm a fucking genius. You probably think I'm just wise cracking, but I'm excellent at math, reading and writing as well. I could be writing really elegantly right now with some pretty advanced vocabulary, but I'm tired and just feel like writing what I'm thinking. Plus, someone needs to keep track of what's going on here so the historians have some evidence 100 years from now. Unfortunately, I do not have the exact statistics. So far there has been 6 public deaths (4 executions), but the death count is probably triple that by this point.

There's not much to do around her lately. Link says I'm not allowed to feel bored during a hostage crisis.

Even though I haven't been traveling with him long at all, I can tell I'm experiencing him at his worse.

Arthur told me to 'stay away from him', Saria told me to 'leave him alone'. I'm starting to think that was actually good advice.

Yesterday I passed by him and he slammed me up against the wall. He would've taken me right then and there if Saria and Arthur hadn't walked in. Without a word he got off me and disappeared into his room before they saw him.

Saria was crying to Arthur today. I peeked into her room and saw the two of them sitting on the bed. She told him she was afraid of Link and didn't want to stay with him anymore. Arthur told her it wouldn't be right to abandon their friend in a time of need.

I'm currently on the night-shift. It's probably 2 hours past midnight. No one knows the exact time.

It's my job to stay away all night and make sure no murders or rapists break in. So it's pretty boring.

I'm not alone of course. There's two of us just in case someone passes out or can't defend themselves if someone were to break in. Saria's with me. She hates me though so she refuses to even look up from her sad little book.

Again, I'm not sure what's going on here exactly. I don't know the death count, I don't know what the three of them are discussing when they lock themselves in that back room (they won't let me in) and I don't know how much food or water we have left.

But I know one thing for sure, every one here is loosing their minds.

* * *

><p>I<strong>'m very excited for Part 2. I am debating on whether to change the rating, part 2 is M for Mature (nothing too explicit). If you guys would like me to add a chapter summing up part one (like a spark notes for ATL pt.1) I will. Sorry for not reaching out to you guys more, I've been horribly busy.<strong>

**Also, I need your guys help. I really want to rewrite the beginning of ATL (AGAIN). I had my father read it and he said he wasn't interested until chapter 7 which is very late in the story. Now, I'm sure part of my audience was interested cuz it involved Link/zelda so they were automatically a little hooked but I'm trying to convert ATL into an original work and I DONT KNOW WHAT TO WRITE FOR THE BEGINNING. HEP ME!**

**The symbol of the horse Link tames is important (since it comes back in chapter...46? (Ineptitude), but its a boring and stupid and cliche scene, a lot of the workers aren't really important (except for Catherine and Richard) but they come back in part 2, and Saria and Arthur (two of the four main characters) don't come in until way way later! The beginning is boring and idk how to fix it. HEP**

**Also, I want to hear a little more opinions from you guys (sry for being greedy). Like, who do you think this person is ^? What do you guys think about the characters' relationships? A love interest, the insanity aspect, the action, the pacing, the writing style, the dialogue etc.? Tell me what you thought of ATL so far! I won't opinions, i want feedback, BADLY. And most of all, tell me what you think about Arthur, Link, and Saria. I would love to hear an analyzation of the characters so I can get a feel of what's coming across and what's not coming across. Some hints here and there in my writing may go unnoticed, but might be obvious. It's hard for me to tell cuz I know my characters better than my readers do so something that may be obvious to me may go over the reader's head (or i think I'm being all subtle and cool like but really I'm being so obvious and its dumb). So ya know tell me about it. Plus, IT WOULD BE SOOOO COOL TO HEAR MY CHARACTERS BE TALKED ABOUT IN DEPTH LIKE IN AN ENGLISH CLASS. LITERALLY MY DREAM. sorry if thats too much to ask, but i would really love it. (especially arthur, there's something in particular i want to be addressed)**

**_Love u guys_, you guys have no idea how much i count on your reviews and support, ATL means the world to me and the fact that people are actually reading this massive thing is insane. ha insane. But i really do adore your support and LOYALTY. HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS MUST LOVE TO READ FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH 130K WORDS. Wow. I love hearing from you and can't wait to hear more. I hope you guys are still interested in ATL, i personally think it only gets more exciting from here (in terms of action, drama and ROMANCE, WOO) IM SO EXCITED TO WRITE SOME ROMANCE SCENES GET PUMPED.**

**Can't wait to go on another journey with you guys through Part 2. Warning, I'm probably gonna tone down the Zelda elements in part two because of my attempts to get this published. It actually won't make a huge difference, part 2 mostly consists of the hostage situation. But you'll notice a few things here and there. For now, the characters names will remain the same.**

**Long note sorry. I'm so excited!**


	54. Chapter 54: She and Link

**Lol no one knew who she was! *evil laugh* You'll know soon enough**

**And guys, please, I would love some help with getting ATL more attention. Would mean the world to me! Even though I want more attention, I would rather keep all of you guys than loose one of you and gain 100 strangers! I mean that!**

**and lawls i just found out about beta readers. Didn't know that tab existed/was an option. Im sad i went on this long without one.**

**Thanks for all the reviews you guys, ESPECIALLY MOONLIGHT NICE REVIEW I REALLY LOVED READING THAT. There were a few things you missed but i don't want to give them away.**

**LMK if you guys like this chapter. Im still not sure about it...Idk this scene just seems action-y for the hell of it you know?**

**Voting for New Names on the bottom**

**CHECK OUT MY ORIGINAL WORK ON fictionpress UNDER (SEARCH UNDER LINK'SLILY)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: She and Link<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Two Weeks Earlier...<em>

* * *

><p>The sky threatened to ruin his day. The deep grays and fresh air told him, in a bombastic, obnoxious voice, that it was going to rain.<p>

He didn't notice these clouds at first, strange considering he was, and had been for a while, extremely adept at predicting rain. He had first pulled his beloved horse Epona to a halt on top of a hill overlooking the lower terrain of Daichi and looked downwards, ignoring the weather. The clouds above him were, relatively, of little importance.

With Akane and Katsuro, the miserable western town and the temple that dwelled within it respectfully, behind him, he figured he deserved a moment to himself before he continued. His high, the high that made him cheer and race through Daichi, the high that made him a god, had died down. His smile was surviving but was terribly weak, choking on its last breath.

Finally noticing the weather and hearing its mocking voice didn't help this smile, of course; it smothered what was left of it. He pulled the reins left, then right, forcing Epona to swing her massive head side to side in disorientation. He didn't know where to go, but sitting still was not an option anymore. He deserved a moment, but he couldn't have it anymore. Not in standing in the rain, not lost in an open field.

Thus far, injustices such as this were not a surprise.

He soon turned miserable, turning in circles and feeling frustration boil over through his lips in little grunts and whimpers. He longed for the vagabond, that wise-cracking enigma who probably wouldn't know exactly what to do but would be able to make a decision. Or maybe his mild-manner medic who would be as lost as he was (or too insecure to suggest an option) but would comfort him in the very least.

He hadn't felt so panicked in weeks. He hadn't felt so alone in years.

When it started to rain, his heart nearly failed. He sent Epona charging through the field in a random direction and leaned forward, practically hugging her neck. The rain stung.

He couldn't head North , towards the Haruka mountains. This direction (the direction he was heading towards) would be a horrific dead end. And, as far as he was concerned, Sinal was still up there. He couldn't go North.

So he turned around and charged south, towards Wakana. Another dead end. Soon, the rain was so heavy he couldn't see the mountains anymore. He lost his reference point. He lost his direction. His vision blurred over.

Soon, he found himself in a grey room with no windows.

* * *

><p>"What's up?"<p>

Link, soaking wet, lifted his head, but saw nothing; how could he, through his drenched hair? He was on the ground, leaning against his horse's belly.

A delicate hand dug under his bangs and lifted them up, revealing the smiling face of a vamp through the dying rain.

_No fucking way._

He smacked her hand away and scrambled to his feet. She stepped back and crossed her arms, shivering.

"Is this what you do with your precious time? Sit in the rain?"

"I'm lost. What are you doing here?"

It was silent for a minute, except for the light pitter patter. She wouldn't look at him, the ground and behind her shoulder, even the sky, but not him. "I-…I think I killed him."

"What?"

"I think I killed him!" She spoke as if the rain was heavier than it was.

"Who? Sinal?!"

"I feel like...if he was alive..." she looked behind her shoulder. "He would have come for me by now."

Link stared at her for a good 10 seconds before letting a chuckle rumble out of his throat. It had been so since he laughed; perhaps this cruel, mocking one didn't count. "You think you killed Sinal?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes and blushed.

"Shut up, I could've killed him!"

"You can't even kill me!"

"Oh really?" she growled.

He grinned. What a brilliant little actress she was. "Yeah, really! This is, what? Our third time speaking to each other?"

"Fourth," she muttered.

"And you have yet to kill me!"

She crossed her arms and let one hip dip down. "How can someone be so arrogant yet so dumb? Why the hell are you provoking me?"

He was enjoying the hue in her cheeks, be it dulled by the rain. "Cuz you're no longer a threat, slut! You couldn't kill me even if you wanted to."

"You've changed," she said calmly. She looked to the ground, closed her eyes, and tightened all her muscles at once, making her body look like it was being electrocuted. Then, as she relaxed, a delicate, weak breath left her lips.

"You know, hero-"

When she opened her eyes, he realized she was on the verge of crying; a thin layer of tears was glistening across their surface.

"-a little birdie told me you're afraid of heights."

The gaze she gave him, this heartbroken, tortured expression, told him he was wrong about her, wrong about her not being a threat.

When she extended his wings, he widened his eyes and yelped, "No!"

He could barely finish the word before his body was snatched from the ground. Panic replaced any sense of confidence he thought he had. He didn't want to stand in rain, and he definitely didn't want to fly through it.

100, 300, 500 feet up.

Never, in his adult life, had he touched another human being with such eagerness. What a sad fact that was. He gripped her shoulders and held himself close. She was, unfortunately, slippery.

They were moving so fast; to him, nothing could simulate a feeling such as this, not even racing a horse. Humans were not meant to fly. He couldn't make out any single drop of stinging rain anymore, the air around him was wet and painful, like he was submerged in a bathtub full of jellyfish.

He didn't dare look down; he was sure the ground below him had shrunken beyond recognition.

Once she stopped, once he could hear and see the rain again, his body became heavy. His stomach leaped into his throat as he scrambled to hold on to his enemy's frail figure. They found themselves in an odd embrace, each of their heads were over the other's shoulder, staring out into the speckled gray. His legs were dangling. He never realized how heavy they were.

"Don't drop me!" he cried. "Don't let me fall!"

"Ever thought that the reason I haven't killed you yet is because I was waiting for the right moment? I'd say this is a glorious way to kill you, with you begging for your life! I'm glad I waited!"

_Bullshit! _He knew that wasn't the reason, he knew she was lying, but this wasn't the time to argue with the insane vamp.

How his heart hadn't stopped by this point was beyond him. "Don't let me fall, please!"

He had never been so close to death. They were so tired, his arms. They burned so terribly, the feeling would soon transcend into a numbness. And then his arms would give out completely.

"So much for a grand hero! You barely made it halfway. I'm sure this will make a depressing chapter, if your society even lives on to continue writing history."

She suddenly pushed him away from her, prying his arms off her shoulders, and gave him a final shove into the air.

For the few seconds he was airborne, his mind went nearly blank; nothing but dismay and horror could be found.

Fortunately, he was spared the burden of mentally preparing for and accepting his death; he only fell for a few seconds. His enemy had snatched him from the air, catching him mid-scream. He found himself breathless but his mind was too busy to bother with inhaling. He ended up choking through a pathetic gasp.

To worsen his state of humiliation, she held him by his ankles, his body hanging vertical. If it wasn't for his relatively tight tunic, his under shirt would've fell over his head and stayed there. Thank god for that pride-saving tunic.

How he hated the tingle of warm blood crowding the veins in his head. He imagined them being stretched until they popped. In his pitiful 18 years of life, it was a rarity for him to get along with another, yet he has met no one who he'd wish this fate upon.

He had been right about the ground, it was unrecognizable. "I'll sleep with you!" he cried. "I'll fuck you right in that field! Hell, kill me afterwards, just don't let me die like this!"

Why he thought that would be a better death was beyond him.

"Have you no shred of dignity left?" she teased, readjusting her weak and slippery grip.

"Not really," he whimpered.

"Your offer is tempting, hero, but this is no longer fun for me. I can't become distracted, I can't fool around, not anymore. Once you die, millions will follow. Killing you is so…_huge_! So impactful, so important. I've never really realized it before. When the person you're trying to kill is the savior of his world, you don't flirt with him and you don't fuck him. You just kill him…."

She leaned down, placed a hand on his back, and lifted him so that he hung from her once again, both of them horizontal against the sky. His entire world flipped. He could see her wings beat up and down above him.

For some odd reason, in this position, lying flat and staring up into the vamp's eyes, he felt most vulnerable and most pathetic. He was a baby being cradled. Was there nothing he could do? Nothing he could do to change his fate? Was there nothing up his sleeve?

It was then, Link realized, his salvation was not up his sleeve, but down his boot. A memory flashed in his mind, a memory of him being stitched up by an odd later in the smallest home he had ever been in, holding Saria's hand.

_Always._

An incredible sense of focus overcame him and he knew what to do. He stared up into her eyes and forced his own to soften. This was his last chance. "I didn't think you would do this to me."

He reached up to touch her face. It felt cold and wet. He pretended it felt nice.

She sighed and rested her face in his palm. "Death might be nice. Might be better than this."

He frowned and tried to make his eyes look kinder. This wasn't an easy task. Not just because of his naturally bitter expression but because her words meant absolutely nothing to him.

"In the end, I'm glad I met you," she cooed. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his, which were trembling. He withheld the urge to spit hers out.

This wasn't an indulgent kiss. He had 5 seconds at the most. He swung his leg backwards, his foot nearly touching his back, reached down into his boot, and pulled out a tiny knife, indigenous to the Haruka Mountains.

"You're right," he murmured when she pulled away from him. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "You can't fool around."

She furrowed her brow right before she was stabbed in her shoulder.

She screeched and sent her self barreling through the sky. Link using his new adrenaline rush, sparked by hope, hung on to her. He stabbed her again, in the thigh, and again in the arm. Killing her would do no good, but he could at least hurt her then threaten her with a blade against her neck. He didn't think about the way it felt.

She eventually stop attempting fight him off; she stopped flying, and both of them began to hurdle downwards to the earth.

"Great idea, hero, now we're both gonna die!" she growled as he pressed the tiny dagger against her neck. "You thought I wouldn't drop you just cuz you threaten me with a knife? You're wrong! I have nothing to live for, I might as well be dead! Hell, I'll die either way! Go ahead, slit my throat! There's no fucking way I'm gonna save myself and let you live! Whether I'm with you are not, you're hitting the ground!"

"I never said I wasn't gonna hit the ground," he looked down and waited until the field was just close enough. "Just not as hard!"

He threw her below him, horizontal, and positioned himself on top of her.

Kneeling on her back, he took one of her wings in each hand and pulled them up and out, allowing the wind to catch underneath them. Her and Link shot up and away from the ground with less than 5 feet to go, awkwardly gliding. It wasn't in the same way he had promised, but he ended up riding her after all.

He let out a cheer and broke out into giddy laughter. His enemy threw her weight to the side and spun furiously, effectively throwing him off. He didn't mind at all, he'd take a couple feet over a couple hundred any day. It did hurt though.

He didn't bother getting up. He was tired. His arm hurt. And the rain had stopped.

"Maybe you're right," he heard his enemy say.

He craned his neck back to look at his enemy, who was lying just like him, on her back and staring up at the clouds, just a few feet up and to the right of him. She was bleeding but she didn't seem to care.

Even then he didn't get up. He just took a breath, stared upwards and listened to her speak. Neither of them seemed to care anymore.

"I should have killed you when I first met you in the forest. You weren't 'too powerful' or whatever excuse I came up with at the time. I could have taken you and Arthur when I took the princess. I could have killed you in that cathedral. I could have killed you in the mountains. Well, actually I take that back. That time I really couldn't kill you. I was really scared then.

But I could have and should have those other times. And I could have done it in a way that was more effective. I could have poisoned you, stabbed you in your sleep, I could have done so many other things...I'm not stupid. I'm too smart to fail unintentionally this many times. I must have wanted to fail...

-Wipe that damn smile off your face it doesn't have anything to do with you, asshole!"

He frowned. "I never said that."

"Yeah but you were thinking it. It has nothing to do with you or who you are or any of that bullshit. This is about me, not you. I feel nothing for you...

I thought I was just having fun when I stalled, and I was, a little, but I guess I was really just...procrastinating. I mean, what would happen to me, after I killed you? That was my one job. That's all he wanted from me. That was my life purpose."

She sighed, her voice quivering. "Oh, I'm such a_ fucking_ moron. What did I think was gonna happen when all this was over, that he was gonna marry me?"

"Wait, who was gonna marry you?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm so _fucked_. I never thought this would happen. Now I _can't _kill you. Mentally or physically. I've dug myself into a hole. And it's really fucking deep."

Link didn't know what to say. "Well, you can, if you want-"

"Do me a favor. Close your eyes for like 10 seconds."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"I'm not gonna kill you. Just do it, please."

He did. Probably wasn't the smartest idea.

_10_

_9_

_8_

_7_

_6_

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1._

She was gone. His little knife that he had stabbed her with, coated red with her blood, was on the ground in from of him, with its point angled carefully.

He stood up and withheld a smile. She had given him his direction.

* * *

><p><strong>NEW NAME OPTIONS: (I'm keeping the <span>character<span> names for ff don't worry) VOTE FOR EACH, ILL PICK THE ONE I LIKE AND U GUYS LIKE MOST FOR EACH THING. meanings are in ().**

**Link-**Leo, Lance, Rin (dignified, severe and cold in Japanese)

**Zelda-**Kara(pure), Adara (noble), Naoki(honest)

**Saria-**Sarah, Claire (light), Amice (friend), Abigail (but NOT abbie), Mika (forgot what this meant), Naoki (honest)

**Arthur stays (:**

**Lily stays (: **(or Hana/Hanae which means 'flower', Yuri means lily)

**Hyrule- **Daichi/Hiroto (means large, great earth/land in japanese), Haruka/Haruna (far off, distant), Honoka (harmony), Kazuki (hope, radiance, harmony), Miku (beautiful and long time)

**Eastern Forest- **Hiroshi, Hiroko (both mean abundant/generous/prosperous)

**Western Town (Currently Kasashi, which is a derivative of the word meaning death)-**Akane (deep red), like the canyons. I like this. Kasashi will be the name of a different town.

**Kiorki-** Hiroko/Hiroshi, Naoki-honest, straight

**Northern Mountains-**Haruka Mountains, Haruna mountains

**Instead of the Courage Temple- **Isamu (means bravery) temple, Kokoro(heart, spirit)temple

**Instead of Power-**Katsu (victory) temple, Katashi (hard, firm), Katsuro (victory and hero), Shinobu (endurance)

**Instead of Wisdom-**Kiyoko (pure, clean, holy, child) temple, Ma (real, true) temple, Mayu (true, full, gentleness, superiority, evening), Chi (wisdom) Temple, Osamu(discipline, study) temple

**Mountain village where Link recovered-**Naoki, Naoko, Noboru, Osamu (discipline, study) Yasu (peaceful)

**Castle Town-**Tomi, Tomiko (wealth), Wakana (harmony and music), Yasu (peaceful)

_**OPEN TO NEW NAMES**_

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>I'm adding on this note a few days after i first published this chapter. I want to give my respects to those who lost their lives in Paris. I am in no position to speak of the details or even begin to fathom or describe the horror of this tragedy, but I felt like it was necessary to address. <span>**_

**_I am so grateful for my life and this community. Thank you all for your kindness, you all make my day every time i hear from you. I'm am very lucky for everything i have, including my readers._**

**_The victims are in my thoughts and prayers, I encourage you to pay your respect any way you see fit._**

**_Thank you._**


	55. Chapter 55: Naoki's Message

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the feedback on the names, I will definitely take those into consideration.**

**And, of course, thank you for your continued support.**

**I entered ATL in the fandom2 contest on Inkitt (so basically the same contest as before but just giving everyone another chance to win i guess cuz lol i lost last time) Please vote for me even though I have no chance of winning (:**

**Hope you enjoy this short and rushed chapter...I have mixed feelings about this one. There are definitely ****some things that had to be brought up but I might have layered it on too thick...you'll know what i mean once u read.**

**CHECK OUT MY ORIGINAL WORK ON fictionpress UNDER MY PENNAME **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Naoki's Message<strong>

* * *

><p>The water in the pond under the willow tree was freezing.<p>

The willow tree, once a subtle green, was now halfway bare; there was a thick ring of dead leaves surrounding the trunk.

The water, always black at first glance, was so clear it could be seen through even when 6 feet deep.

It was clear until, of course, it became muddled with James's blood. Saria had just finished washing it off her arms and chest by the time she had gotten used to the temperature. She couldn't stroll into Naoki covered with blood; that would be humiliating.

She was kneeled down in the blue hinted grass beside the tainted pond, a pond she knew and often escaped to in the past. She was half naked. Her breasts looked odd when her skin was chilled and bumpy. The fact that she was able to do this, that is, sit there with her chest exposed without four walls surrounding her, was baffling to any observer, including herself. She blamed it on the forest's loneliness. Everything seemed quiet. Like a private room.

Besides, maybe she didn't need the privacy in the first place. She felt free for the first time in a long time.

Once her skin was clean, she held up Arthur's dagger, using it as a make-shift a mirror, and smoothed down the unruly hair that escaped the ties of her braid. She wished Arthur was there to comb it for her. She imagined him doing so with a nice, soft brush. She could almost feel the tips of his elongated fingers graze her forehead. She pictured him then pulling them back through her hair and across her scalp with each brush stroke, and soon, because of this sensation, she would deem the brush unnecessary and ask him to toss it.

She shook her head slightly, heaved a breath, and got dressed in a clean shirt. What a ridiculous thought; Arthur would sooner kill her.

Why she suddenly had such thoughts involving Arthur was beyond her. Less than a week ago she was frightened by him. She was still frightened by him.

As she walked away from the pond and moved towards Naoki, she decided these thoughts must've not had anything to do with Arthur particularly, just, perhaps, the specific type of company he would be able to provide her with. The same company Link could give her, in a technical sense.

A crow fluttered its wings above her. She looked up and smiled at it. It wasn't too large.

"Hi there," she whispered.

It twisted around and itched itself under its wings.

"I didn't know anyone was here," she remarked playfully. She looked over her shoulder and, for a moment, saw herself bathing beside the pond. She smirked and asked the crow, "Should I be embarrassed?"

"No," it said in a creamy voice.

Saria nearly screamed. Did it just talk? "Did you just talk?"

"You asked me a question. Why are you so surprised that I answered?"

"I didn't expect you to answer; crows don't talk."

"According to you I do. And if you didn't expect an answer, why ask?"

"I-People talk to animals sometimes even when they know they won't get a response."

"They do when they are lonely. Is that why you're speaking to me? Because you're lonely?"

She smiled and looked away. "I must be loosing my mind."

"Not a rare occurrence these days."

She began to walk away, deciding to ignore the bird as if she hadn't noticed it at all. She was sleep deprived. Either that or she ate the wrong species of berry or mushroom. Either way she knew she was hallucinating.

The crow took flight and joined her in her stroll, flying gently around her personal bubble. It moved more like a butterfly than a bird. "Why were you covered with a man's blood?"

"I'd rather not speak about it...Wait, how do you know it was a man's blood?"

"I just do."

"Are you a spirit?"

"I thought I was a hallucination?"

She frowned. "You must be if you can read my mind like that."

It was silent for a while. This was the most uncomfortable awkward silence Saria had ever experienced; and that's saying something.

"My condolences," the crow suddenly murmured.

"What?"

"My condolences. For your loss."

"I didn't lose anything."

"If you say so...You're quite a pretty little thing, by the way. Someone with a chest like yours should never be embarrassed."

Saria, red in the cheeks, swatted at it. "Leave me alone!"

"Which one did you fall in love with?"

"What?!"

"Excuse me, let me rephrase that," it fluttered clumsily onto her shoulder, gripping her with sharp claws, and whispered into her ear in a new, unfamiliar and hoarse voice, "Which one would you rather_ fuck_?"

She screamed and attempted to shake the bird off her. It became tangled in her hair. "Leave me alone, pervert!" She tore it off her, taking several strands of copper hair with it, and ran.

It shrieked and flew after her, pecking her scalp when it got the chance. "Where ya going, sweetheart?!"

She clumsily ran through the forest, approaching Naoki, while tripping on both roots and her own feet. After a moment, she didn't feel the psychotic pecking or and didn't hear the fluttering of wings. She looked behind her shoulder only to crash into someone right in the middle of her path. From her spot on the ground, she looked up and saw two piercing blue eyes staring down at her.

"Link?!"

"What?" It was a blue-eyed man in his thirties. She knew him from Naoki.

She blinked, confused. "Oh, I'm sorry, Robert."

"Saria?" he watched her get up. "You-You're back..."

"Yes. I'm not planning on stay long-"

"Good."

"What?"

"I need to go," he said, adjusting his fishing rod over his shoulder. "As should you."

"I-"

He aggressively and purposely shoved past her before she could speak.

She stood there, dumbfounded.

* * *

><p>Things didn't get better for the medic once she managed to break out of the forest and reach the village of Naoki. Anyone who had the decency to look her in the eye would glare at her. Anyone who had the decency to speak to her only spoke in either extremely rude or passive aggressive means.<p>

Even Illica, who was still swollen in the belly, refused to engage her. Saria had called out to her but was ignored. Illica merely looked up at her then disappeared into her house.

Saria became furious and terrified. Everything was wrong. The grass wasn't as green, the babbling river stood still, and the temperature had dropped. There were no birds singing, except for the sound of a few squawking crows in the near distance. The sky was grey, the ground was hard, even frozen, and the trees were more bare than the changing seasons would demand.

Watching Illica ignore her was her breaking point. After multiple years of living with this woman, how dare Saria be treated like she didn't exist? She did nothing wrong!

She burst into her former home to see not Illica in the living room, but Illica's children, playing on the floor with broken toys.

"Oh, hi," she said to them.

They looked up and she nearly fainted. There was something wrong with their eyes.

"Get out!" they screeched.

She ran away to the nearest room. This was a nightmare. If she took the time to notice, she would see the wallpaper peeling off the walls.

Illica was in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

"Illica," Saria began. "Why are you so upset with me? Why is _everyone_ so upset with me?"

"You need to leave here."

"Why though?"

Seconds later she saw a plate spinning towards her like a porcelain frisbee. She ducked and it shattered on the wall behind her.

"Get out!" Illica screamed. She threw a mug, then a fork. Saria turned and ran as the pregnant woman threw her entire kitchen at her. "You little bitch!"

Her children were screaming as well as Saria dashed by them and leapt outside, Illica slamming the door shut behind her.

Once outside, she stood in awe and attempted to comprehend her situation. The world didn't give her half a minute; a rock hit her on the side of her head. She lifted a hand to her tiny wound and looked at her assailant in dismay. It was a young girl, it was Bo.

"Bo!"

Bo didn't respond with her words. She just threw another rock. Saria, overwhelmed, cried out and began to run. Other children joined in. A blizzard of stones, sticks, toys and dirt came Saria's way as she bolted towards the trees; towards shelter, towards the forest she had once despised.

Adults cursed at her. Dogs barked. Horses reared like she was a snake slithering towards their hooves. She even felt a large beetle-like insect smack into her forehead.

The squawking of the crows became louder and she believed her obnoxious hallucination would return with an army.

She finally managed to disappear into the trees, crying.

After a few seconds of running with her teary eyes closed, she slammed into another chest and, before she toppled to the ground, felt two large hands with long fingers take hold of her, catching her.

"Let me go!" she screamed and thrashed. "I'm leaving! Let me go!"

"Calm down, Saria! It's me!"

Arthur.

"Arthur?!" she paused with her arms in his hands, panting.

His golden-brown eyes softened. "Gods, sweetheart, what's gotten into you?"

"I-I don't know what's going on! Either I've gone insane or the world has!"

"It's probably both," he said with a crooked smile.

She ripped her arms away, took a breath, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She wasn't aware that she was trembling. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I-...got bored I guess. Sorry I followed you. I know you wanted to be alone-"

She hugged him and he couldn't have been more surprised. "No! Gods, no! I'm so happy you're here!" She pulled away and poked his chest. "You are here, aren't you?"

He scoffed awkwardly. " 'Course I am! Are you under the influence of something?"

"Something," she muttered with a shrug.

"Saria, you don't look right."

She ignored his comment and walked by him, towards his white horse. "Please, I lost my horse. Could you give me a ride?"

"Definitely, sweetheart. Where to? We can go anywhere."

"Why don't we figure that out on the way out of here? Maybe set up camp? And a fire?"

She suddenly felt fabric fall onto her shoulders. Arthur had wrapped a blanket over her. "Sure, I'm in no rush."

* * *

><p><strong>So i want to make ATL a bit more interesting. I feel like plot wise it's a little lacking. I want it to have lore behind it and a fantasy world and all that noise. I think the legend of korra has been brainwashing me (I've been binge watching it). But seriously i want to add some more storyworld elements into ATL.**

**Maybe there's more to the world, to the war, to the politic aspect. I want castle town to be corrupt. I want the royals to be corrupt, there has been hints of a revolution in chapter 23 or something like that and i was planning on that coming back later in part 2.**

** I was thinking of playng around with religion and the connection it has to insanity and maybe even terrorism or something like that. It would make the story more relevant and interesting.**

**I also want to play around with the idea of technology and how this story is so late in the game in terms of a time line or whatever. Again, legend of korra is brainwashing me.**

**Let me know what you guys think, i might have some more concrete ideas later. R n R and thank you so much for everything you guys do for me.**

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING, I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU**


	56. Chapter 56: In Green Eyes

**_CHECK OUT THE CHARACTER SONG LIST BELOW and so sorry for the insane amount of extra content in this chapter. Wont happen again._**

**_So i have some weird news. So I've begun the original version of ATL on fiction press and to be perfectly honest it's harder to work on ATL._**

**I AM NOT STOPPING ATL. because a). i love this story b). i don't want to leave u guys hanging and c). i feel like for the entire part 1 I've been thinking and saying "oh just wait until you guys see part 2 its so much better theres so much to come all this intense romance and plot points are coming up" and to write that whole long part 1 which was really there just to lead into Pt2 without even GETTING to part 2 would be HORRIBLE AND SO UNSATISYING.**

**_So im not stopping. BUT i AM making skips. I feel like during part 1 _**there are a lot of places in ATL i felt like i had to write/needed to write to fill in the plot, there's a few sweet, awesome moments in part one but there is an equal amount of 'eh' moments). **_I wish i didn't feel this way but the fact that ATL was a fanfic always loomed in my min_****_d and depressed me cuz I love it so much and i feel like i really have some good content here in terms of characters (and probably ONYL in terms of characterS) but it would always be chained down because of it being based on something else and those Zelda moments and elements that i honestly never liked including (weird right?)_**

**_So i'm gonna make a few skips here and there _****_NOT ALOT_****_ just a few chapters maybe where the plot just needs 'filler'. I also will be looser with editing. I won't go back and meticulously fix it till i think its perfect. I'll still work hard though!_**

**_Im sorry to do this to you guys and i know its weird and annoying but the truth is this is my story and i don't want to stop enjoying writing it, i don't want it to become a job (like this other book is which frankly is a pain in the ass)._**

**_Thank you, i hope you guys understand. I will obvi give you guys plot overviews of what happened during these skips. IT WONT HAPPEN OFTEN I PROMISE._**

**_love u guys and hope you enjoy this chapter. Shout out to all my followers and my reviewers, I LOVE U GUYS HAPPY NEW YEAR_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 56: In Green Eyes<strong>

Arthur's eyes may be, in a certain light, more interesting than Link's. I always thought Link's eyes were this unbeatable, icy blue and nothing would compare. But how often do you see golden eyes?

It's a shame how he's using them in this sleazy, vile manner.

"What?" he asks innocently with a theatrical tilt of the head. How dare he act like he doesn't know?

"You're staring at me."

"No I'm not. And even if I was it's only cuz you're so pretty, sweetheart."

That nickname sits in my gut like a rock. He's making me uncomfortable. I realize he always makes me uncomfortable; there is always something slightly off with him, varying in manner and degree.

"What's wrong?" he asks, pouting his lip. "Wanna come over here and let me make it better?"

"What?"

"What?" he looks up from the fire with a confused gaze.

"What did you just say to me?"

"I didn't say anything."

"W-" I want to be brave and fight against his negligence but I have nothing to say. "Sorry, I thought you did." I shouldn't have said sorry.

"It's strange without him, isn't it?" Arthur says after an extended silence.

"Without Link?"

"Yeah."

"Do you miss him?" I miss him.

"As much as any man would admit," he chirps. "I miss his presence more than the man himself." He lifts his hands and moves them up and down, imitating a scale. "Balance seems off."

I shake my head. "No, I miss_ him_." Arthur seems to be too concerned with the feel of things and not the things themselves, the 'feel' of the party not the party goers, appearances and aspects and perceptions and labels and interpretations.

That's just my impression of what he expresses, of course. He, like everyone around me, is an enigma.

I don't like talking to Arthur because I've noticed he refrains from speaking of substance and emotion. He shrugs things off too easily and it makes me feel like I can't bring up anything that requires complex thought or empathy without feeling insecure or foolish. But I want to talk about Link and he is the only person available. He is possibly the only other person in existence who knows Link well enough to discuss him. Maybe he'll bite; he might enjoy jumping to conclusions about Link's character, he has before.

"Do you think he misses us?" I ask.

"I don't think he misses me. Not at all," he looks to the ground and picks up a dead leave. He begins to push out the flaky flesh around the veins to create a delicate skeleton. "I haven't made a lasting impression on him yet, at least not a good one. It's hard to, with him, isn't it?" his mutated eyes soften like he wants me to reassure his confidence.

"Very hard," I say. It is very hard. I didn't need to lie.

"He misses you," Arthur says as the skeleton crumbles in his hand. "I'm sure of it."

I try to act casual. "What makes you say that?"

"He loves you."

I'm trying. "What?"

"He loves you, you know that. He'd die for you. He _did _die for you."

"He did that for the both of us. He did that because it was the right thing to do. Not because he loves me."

"It's not that hard to believe, sweetheart. I'm not saying he wants to marry you, but he cares deeply about you. Like you were family-" right, that makes more sense-"I can tell. I got a knack for that sort'a thing."

I nod.

"I'm glad I found you," he says after another silence. He looks up at me with his sleazy, golden eyes. He's trying to sleep with me. "_I_ missed you...something fierce."

He seems to want a response. I shrug. "I missed your _presence_."

He laughs. I can see his right canine is chipped.

Another silence passes before he says, "You hungry?"

Something about the way he said that, something he did with his voice and his eyes, made my stomach churn. He wants me to do something disgusting. "What?"

"Are you hungry? I can cook us a rabbit maybe."

"Oh uh no, I'm alright."

He suddenly stands up and makes his way around the fire, towards me.

I inch away and prepare to stand up myself. "What are you doing?"

He squats down in front of me and reaches out to touch my face. I flinch.

He rests the back of his hand on my forehead. His hand feels giant. I can feel the tips of his long fingers reach my hair. "For a medic you're not doing a great job at keeping yourself healthy. I think you should eat."

"Um okay."

He suddenly puts one hand on my waist and pulls me towards him. I felt his lips on my neck, then my ear and I hear him whisper something awful to me.

I shove him away. "Get off!"

He stumbles back and upwards, gains his balanced then looks down at me with a wrinkled expression. It was an awkward mix between a smirk and a scowl. "What was that for?"

I begin to feel embarrassed. I shouldn't be. He's the one who touched me. "I-.."

"Gods Saria sorry if invaded your personal space. I thought Link was the touchy one."

"I-I thought..." I realize it doesn't matter what I thought; I could never say it out loud.

He stares at me, at my confused gaze and red cheeks, then lifts a hand up to his head and twitches his fingers. "I think you might be loosing your mind, sweetheart."

My heart breaks. The heavy pieces fall into the pit of my stomach.

He frowns. "I didn't mean that."

"I know."

I try to avoid his eyes. I notice a crow is sitting on a brach behind him. It's staring at me.

"Leave," it says. "Get out of here."

My stomach is quivering and I know I have to tell someone. I wish Link were here, he's the one who I should tell...whatever it is I have to say; I'm not even sure.

"Arthur!" I snap suddenly. "I feel like something bad's about to happen!"

"What?"

I look back to the crow then back at him. The crow disappeared out of the corner of my eye. "Something very bad is going to happen very soon."

"Do you know what it is?"

"No. I don't know."

He sighed. There was a slight sense of anger in his breath. "Then's there's nothing we can do about it now, is there? Get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

* * *

><p>Sorry that was so short! I didn't want to write a certain part which is going to be a skip in the next chapter! BUT SOME OF MY FAVORITE PARTS ARE COMING UP...LILY IS COMING YES! I LOVE LILY!<p>

**AND HERE ARE CHARACTERS SONGS HOPE YOU LIKE THEM**

**Arthur:**

(the underline ones are major/spot on ones)

-Guilty Pleasure and Sour Patch Kids both by Bryce Vine

-Come a little closer by Cage the Elephant

-Free Falling by Tom Petty

-Island in the Sun by Weezer

-21 Guns by green day

-This too shall pass by OK Go

-Take a walk by passion pit

-Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

-Kids With Guns by Gorillaz

-Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz

-Demons by Imagine Dragons

-A.M. 180 by Grandaddy

-In Too Deep by Sum41

-West Coast by Nightiming

-Ya Hey and Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend

-I Wanna Get Better by the Bleachers

-SomeBody to Love by Queen );

**Link:**

-Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi

-Stressed Out by 21 pilots

-Demons by Imagine Dragons

-Viva La Vida by Cold Play (more so in late part 2 than part 1)

-I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young

-Goodbye Horses by Q Lazzarus (you guys might have to think about this one, my connection to this is not obvious)

-The Fighter by GymClassHereos

-Mr Brightside by The Killers

**Saria:**

-Kayne by Chainsmokers

-Shark in the Water by VV Brown

- Fight Song and Stand by You by Rachel Platten

-New Soul by Yael Naiim

**Lily:**

-Roses by Chainsmokers

-Mine by Phoebe Ryan

-Chandelier by Sia

-Circles by Vanic X Machine Heart

-Habits by Tove Lo

-Black Sheep bonus track by the clash at demonhead from Scott Pilgrim vs the World-the clash

-Hypnotic by Zella Day

-For You by Layla

-Worth it by Fifth Harmony

-Ellie (dont x loyal cover) by Eastside

-The Monster by Enimem featuring Rihanna 

-Disturbia by Rihanna

And practically anything by Lana Del Ray

**Zelda:**

-Elastic Heart by Sia

And Idk i don't have a lot of songs for Zelda but open for other options!

**Link and Lily:**

-The Monster

-Love the way you lie

-She's Always a Woman to Me by billy joel (VERY accurate in terms of lyrics)

-The Hills by the Weekend

**EVERYONE**

-Kids by MGMT

CHE**CK OUT K'GER'S NEW(ISH) STORY! IT'S GREAT! Also check out random but loved and moonlight's writing, they're great!**


	57. Chapter 57: Count to Ten

**Okay, this chapter is gonna be a hit or miss. If you guys hate it, ill take it down. But it's not exactly what you think so don't go off until you read the author's note below. Plus there's prob a ton of spelling errors cuz I could see myself making them as I typed. Over tired. **

**AND I KNOW IVE SAID THIS A MILLION TIMES BEFORE BUT I REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME. PLEASE CHECK MY DEVIANTART ACCOUNT PAGE. (maybe before you read, might enhance the experience) I recently got a new art tablet and I tried out a new graphic-comic book style that I think worked well in character design. I uploaded a piece of Arthur, Link and a rough version of Lily. (Arthur's piece is called 'super quick color job' link's is called 'Rin/Link Atl) SEE WHAT ARTHUR LOOKS LIKE! KGER LIKED IT haha (;**

**There will be a lot more pieces done of the characters so ill probably be asking you guys to go look again, swearing the new ones are better than the last haha it never ends.**

**Plus I'm sorry about not being up to date on your guys' stories. I'm not a big reader actually and I've been a little stressed and overwhelmed (college bound now if anyone cares that i got into college). So sorry. I'll review each of your guys stories after exams are over.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 57: Count to Ten<strong>

_**SKIP (part of chapter 57) **_

_**THIS IS NOT PART OF THE NARRATIVE, IT'S A PLOT OVERVIEW!**_

Link (alone) sets out on the direction his enemy gave him with no knowledge of where he is (he has a terrible sense of direction, which makes reminds him of Arthur's absence).

He wonders to himself if the girl's advice was a trap and if not, why she helped him out. He also thinks about where she went. She couldn't have gone back to Sinal, so did she just leave his world? Where could she have gone? He thinks about her age, which, for some reason, seems to be a pressing issue to him.

While he wanders alone, looking for the sword, his monster from chapter 7 stalks him. He sees the face through the trees and behind his shoulder, but can never get a clear glance at it. If you don't know what "his monster" is, look back to chapter 7.

It speaks to him in strange, random sentences like 'did you see it? I saw it' 'You know it wasn't me 'Count to ten' 'I loved you, in my own, special way' 'It was blue that day' 'You know the time always'

Link begins to feel less afraid of the monster and more annoyed. He felt as if it wasn't there to hurt him, but wasn't there to help him either. It was always just there, watching over him and whispering.

He finds the sword ironically by the guide of the monster. By avoiding it and changing his direction constantly, he finds the sword in an old tourist site. There's weathered tape and barriers surrounding the pedestal where the sword sits but he breaks right through. He waits for a long time before pulling it out (that's what she said) because he feels strange. He can't comprehend the feeling so he deems it as anxiety. The sun sets as he waits there. He even sits down.

Finally he counts to ten and pulls the sword out and his mark glows insanely bright in the dark. He feels powerful but strange and awkward. The sword feels heavy to him.

There's an unknown chain of events that happens after Link pulls the sword that me as the third party narrator would mention, but it's not explain fully.

**END OF SKIP**

* * *

><p>I can't getta lick of sleep. How can I? Saria's pissing me off. How could she think that? Think I was tryna make a move on her? I wouldn't dare! Not with her anyway.<p>

Gods, what if she _still_ thinks that?! I should go tell her, set the record straight.

Well, maybe I shouldn't, her being asleep and all. She needs sleep. Something ain't right with her head. I thought she was supposed to be the normal one. Maybe once she gets sleep, she won't think those things anymore.

It's fucking freezing. Must be fall. I mean, who knows, now n' days?

Winter's gonna be rough, wherever I end up. Hope I find a place to stay. With a fire place. I think I've gotten too used to the fireside.

I'm so fucking pissed at Saria. Makin me feel all twisted when I wasn't even doing anything. I mean, that's the worst. When you don't do the thing you're getting shit for. That's just the world fucking you in the ass when you fall down or turn your back.

If someone were to sneak up on me right now I'd look batshit insane. But how can I help pacing back n forth like this? I can't sleep. Got all this energy built up inside me. And Saria's making me feel like an asshole while she follows that bastard around like he's a god. Link's a fucking bastard. Treats me and Saria like shit. It's infuriating. I hate him.

And now Saria's gonna leave me to fend for myself. Just like he did. And she's gonna leave with that sour idea in her head. She won't remember me as anything else.

* * *

><p>I wake up to a dying fire and huddle under the thin blanket Arthur had given me. The crisp fall air is going straight through it. I look at the back of my hand. I could have sworn I had seen a huge firefly on it, there was light in the corner of my eye. But I see nothing.<p>

It smells like him, this blanket. It's a mix of pine and something else I can't identify. The odor seems saturated in this blanket; it's stronger than usual. I put my nose to it and inhale, trying to figure out the other scent. It's something sweet.

Besides the pitifully weak glow of the fire, the only light source is the moon. Everything seems blue.

Even though I can't exactly see him, I know Arthur isn't here. I don't hear his familiar snoring that makes me want to smother him with my sleeping bag each night. It's this extremely subtle sound in the back of his throat that I can't help listening for. I'm always the last to fall asleep.

"Arthur?" I whisper. He's gone.

I wait for him, thinking he would come back soon. He should be back soon. He seemed so happy to be with me again, I can't imagine him running off now. And he wouldn't leave me, not after he told me he would stay.

Or at least I think he wouldn't.

After a while I feel myself becoming worried and I'm not worried about me being alone in this forest at night. I'm worried about him. Neither of us should be alone.

I decide to go looking for him and as I tiptoe through the trees I realize I'm worried for another reason. I don't want him to leave not only because I'm worried about him, but because I have no where to go, nothing to do, no one to talk to, without him. I don't want him to leave me alone because I don't _want_ to be alone. I want him with me, for good.

I hear his voice after a minute or so. I see him. Who is he talking to?

Himself apparently.

He's pacing back and forth in a small clearing of trees, muttering furiously to himself in incomprehensible sentences. I prepare myself to walk out and speak to him, maybe calm him down, but something stops me. Something about the sounds he's making and something about the redness in his face.

Is he...crying?

Something's wrong.

He's chocking on his own throat and tiny tears race down his cheeks rapidly. He keeps shaking his head. When I see it begin to turn my direction, I throw myself behind a tree.

I press myself against it and feel the rough bark against my face. I can taste its bitterness.

I thought my reaction would be to help him. But I hid from him instead. I didn't even recognize him.

He suddenly screams and collapses to the ground. I flinch. His body made such a loud sound. I step out but stop. I watch him for a moment.

He's wailing and writhing on the forest floor, flailing his arms in the air and across the ground as if he was frustrated and uncomfortable with each individual blade of grass he was touching and each individual air molecule he was breathing.

I wouldn't be surprised if he began to rip his own clothes off.

He screams through his teeth, digs his fingers into the dirt and arches his back.

He then throws himself on his side, brings his knees to his chest, puts his hands on his skull and grunts for a long time. His face is so red.

It's like an adult tantrum.

* * *

><p>Arthur was having a panic attack when Saria found him in the middle of the Eastern Forest.<p>

"Arthur!" she screamed and flung herself to his side. "Arthur, Arthur, look at me," she attempted to pull his hands away from his head. She half believed he would give himself a concussion. He tightened the muscles in his arms and held them in place.

"Shhhh," she said. "Calm down."

"I didn't do anything wrong!" he cried.

"I know. I know you didn't."

"It's in my stomach!" he writhed back and forth for a moment like a slowly dying worm.

"W-..."

"I don't want you to leave me! I'll die on my own! You're gonna leave me!"

"No, I'm not. Arthur, please, stop. You're scaring me."

"It wasn't my fault!"

"I know it wasn't."

"No! You don't understand!"

"Shhh, please, calm down," she took his face in her hands and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Shhhh, it's alright. No one's going anywhere...Shhhhh."

He stared back at her panting furiously.

"Please, Arthur. Count to ten. Can you do that? Please?"

He decided he could do that and for some reason, he wanted to. She made it seem like it was a favor for her, like she needed him to do it.

_1_

_2_

_3_

_4_

_5_

_6_

_7_

_8_

_9_

_10_

Arthur took a deep breath and flopped over onto his back. It was uncanny how quickly the vagabond recovered from his fit.

Perhaps it was because he began to feel separate from his situation, from his humiliating situation. To him, he wasn't in that forest, Saria wasn't there unless he wanted her to be. It was simple, really: he just didn't think about it. He just stared upwards. He thought about how the pattern the darkened tree branches made against the moon looked like veins, like in the wings of a bat with sunlight poking through them.

"Arthur," Saria whispered.

He didn't look at her. "I'm alright," he said after a while. His eyes were dry.

"Gods you're a good liar. I almost believed you."

"That's cuz I wasn't lying. Sometimes things just build up, you know?"

She thought about that a moment then said, "I guess."

"Don't fret," he sighed in a staggered breath before closing his eyes and silencing himself. By the look and sound of his deep, slow breaths, Saria nearly thought he was falling asleep.

"Arthur?"

He exhaled sharply as if to tell her he was still listening.

Saria looked down at his chest, twiddling her fingers. He wasn't alone and she was shocked he would even think that. She watched his torso move up and down.

"Arthur..."

He didn't answer. He didn't think he was expected to. She wanted him to answer her, to look at her.

"Arthur," she repeated in a passionate, alluring voice.

"I'm fine, Saria," he said sternly. He rubbed his fingers over his eyes so roughly they nearly breached into the sockets. "I just don't want to be alone anymore."

As Arthur lied there on his back in silence, Saria watched the subtle movements in his face. His eyebrows twitched, his eyes scrunched and un-scrunched, his lips twisted subtly like he was gently chewing the inside.

She wanted him to know he wasn't alone, she wanted it badly. So she straddled him.

After feeling her weight and her warmth sink down into him, he opened his eyes and saw branches.

He then propped himself up on his elbows and saw her there, staring at him with her sweet green eyes. She looked young to him. "Sweetheart..." he began awkwardly.

She leaned forward and took his face in her hands. "You're not alone," she said before kissing his lips softly.

Vanilla. That was the other scent. And it was the flavor of his lips.

When she pulled away, he looked at her, cracked a half smile and raised an eyebrow. "Are _you _alright?"

She smiled and lied down on him, putting her head in the nook between his chin and chest. "Fine. Fine as I'll ever be."

He put his fingers on the side of her face and fiddled with her hair, pulling it away from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. She, for some reason, felt like she was doing something right, like she was restraining him for squirming, from loosing control.

"Gods Arthur," Saria said as she laid her ear over his chest. "Your heart is racing. W-was it like that before?"

"Don't flatter yourself," he chirped. "I have a resting heart rate of 120."

"120?!" Saria looked up at him. "That's abnormal."

"I know."

"No that's like really not healthy."

"I know. Nothing I can do about it."

"So you're just gonna ignore it?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Worry about my heart all the time?"

"You're supposed to not have a heart attack."

"I'll do my best."

She pressed herself even closer to him. She was now, in her eyes, protecting him from the empty space that was making him so upset.

The two of them lied there for a while. The air seemed warmer.

"Part of it was you," Arthur suddenly said.

"What?"

"My heart racing. Part of that was cuz of you, just so you know."

She smiled and kissed him again, longer and fuller this time. She liked that she was showing him affection, assuming he was in need of it. And she liked that he was kissing her back; he was showing her affection and she was in need of it. It felt nice.

_"Under the water and back again."_

They both froze.

_"Don't drown, don't be Ben."_

Saria pulled away from him and they both looked at each other with wide, horror-struck eyes, silently asking each other if they heard that too.

They both knew that the other had, they could tell by the terror in their eyes.

_"You can jump,"_

Saria felt Arthur's heart began to speed up under her palm.

_"You can dive,"_

It got to the point where she couldn't distinguish each individual beat; it was beating so fast.

_"Just don't fall in, don't you die_

_Poor Ben,_

_He fell back then,"_

The voice, the singular, human voice, was deep, hoarse and so clear and loud it was as if the speaker was inches away from Saria and Arthur. It was right next to them.

"_Fell and died,_

_His mother cried"_

It was in their ears.

_Under the water and back __again,_

_Don't drown, _

_Don't be Ben."_

Minutes past in complete silence. The two of them were too afraid to move.

Saria summed up the courage to break it; there was something she had to mention. "Arthur," she whispered carefully. "..that...I-I think that was Link's uncle's voice..."

A scream suddenly ruptured through the forest. It was Link.

Saria and Arthur flinched and sat up.

"Shit," Arthur muttered. He stood up, Saria sliding off of him. "Come on," he said, holding out a hand for her to take. "We gotta save the bastard."

She took it and followed him into trees. After they took five steps, he stopped and clutched his chest where his heart was, gasping dramatically.

"Arthur!" Saria screeched and put her hands on him.

He put his hand down and winked at her.

"That's not funny!" she scolded.

"It's a little funny!" he called over his shoulder as he bounded into the forest, pretending nothing happened.

* * *

><p><strong>Please read, want to hear opinions.<strong>

**Yeah, so not sure about this chapter. I really like the content, but timing wise it may be off. For example, this scene between Saria and Arthur was so close to the other one, it seems bipolar. (Saria was upset/bothered by him then she kissed him). It might make more sense with that scene in the beginning with Link if i wrote it, but i didn;t (that scene with link would have served as a buffer so those intense concentrated scenes wouldn't be right next to each other)...**

**BUT this does play into what I'm trying to reflect. These characters are confused and young and loosing their grip on reality. **

**Saria's beginning to struggle with her maturity (including her sexuality) and Arthur's having a whole bunch of issues, some he's had since he was younger, others were uncovered by his encounter with Sinal.**

**So i feel like it would make sense that these characters show affection for each other. They've been through a lot and they do love each other, I think it's possible that they would have a moment like this.**

**Saira and Arthur aren't a romantic item per say ****though, that's what i meant by 'not going off'. I've been playing around with them being romantically involved, but even if i decided to do something with it, it would not be a romance story. it will be moments like this, where it's more affection than romance and it will be short and not a long-term thing. So don't think much of this.**

**AND IM NOT DOING A LOVE TRIANGLE. I really want to avoid that. I don't want to fall into a category of teenage-romancey books. Now, I can see a love triangle happening because honestly, all these characters love each other in one way or another, it's just how they express it. They all are extremely connected to each other so honestly any romance c****ombination i can see working in some shape or form but i don't want to write a love triangle, that's not what ATL is about. It's not about who's hooking up with who if u know what i mean.**

**i have a plan in terms of romance, don't worry, I'm not making this up as i go along. **

**Also, i'm alittle nervous about the timing of Arthur's breakdown. He obly gets worse in terms of mentality and i feel like since there's so much content/story to go from here, maybe this breakdown was premature and i should save it for later. But i also may just do another one of greater magnitude/different circumstances.**

**If you guys hate it, ill take it down and do a small rewrite. but either way will have a moment or two like this, it just depends on when, how often, and how.**

**Also, did you guys like the first person? Arthur's was a gut feeling, didn't think too much about it cuz he doesn't thinl too much about things uk?**

**I wanted to do a questionnaire/survey but I'm in a rush, will have to do it later. _sorry for the long note, _r n r love u guys!**


	58. Chapter 58: Reunion

**Warnign, trippy and disturbing chapter. Rated M. Im trying to pick up the past in terms of posting. I want to get the hostage scenes, where things really get 'insane' and i want lily to show up and i want the romance to pick up and all that good stuff.**

**Plus, Link will soon have his first interaction with Sinal. (he hasn't had one yet, even in chapter 'Sinal' he was hiding behind the door. Sinal has never laid eyes on him and actually...shit neither has Link. I don't think Link has even seen Sinal yet...OMG LINK HASN'T SEEN SINAL YET HOW HAVE I MISSED THAT...has he? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.**

**also this chapter is super rushed but i wrote it on a sugar high.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 58: Reunion<p>

_Just hold on a little longer. You can't let them get to you. You have to get a grip. You have to stay strong._

_I can't. I can feel it, I can feel myself loosing my mind. I can feel it slip through the cracks in my skull...like water. And I see it. It's all in color. It's so beautiful. I want to just drown in it...I can see it before my eyes, all this color. I can see it. And it's all...red._

* * *

><p>Link was on his knees. His monster was hugging him from behind, whispering in his ear furiously. He could feel its tongue, running over his cheek and grazing his lips. It's saliva tasted like blood and whiskey, leaving black smudge over his skin. And he could feel its deformed hands, touching him.<p>

It was quite a sight; Arthur couldn't help to hesitate once he pulled his horse to a stop in front of it.

"Link!" Saria cried from behind Arthur.

The hero didn't answer. He couldn't hear anything but the sound of his monster's voice. He was beginning to like it. It was comforting, it was sweet and low and rich. He sunk into its grip.

The vagabond and the medic leapt off their shared steed and barreled toward the monster, ready to fight. It dropped Link, letting his body fall to the ground, and looked at the two of them, ticking its head to the side like it was confused. Arthur and Saria quickly realized that this was not a dark soul like they had previously assumed. This was something entirely different. Entirely its own.

It locked its eyes on Arthur.

Link groaned and sat up weakly. "Arthur," he breathed. "Don't go near it. It won't hurt me, but it'll hurt you. It's not a dark soul."

"I-" Arthur, holding his dagger tight, backed up. The monster vanished. "W-It's gone."

"No it's not," Link whimpered from the ground. "Just go. Leave me. I can deal with it."

It then appeared next to Arthur, pink and covered in blood. It had transformed itself from a black rag-doll to a deformed, bald, bloody human freak. Arthur was always more afraid of flesh colored demons. He screamed and fell backwards. "What is that?!"

"Arthur," it said to him in multiple voices as it crawled towards him. It's right arm was missing; it was replaced with a bloody stump. "Arthur...Arthur..." it picked a few certain voices after shuffling through its options. Only Arthur recognized them. "Arthur. Ow, Arthur that hurts. Stop, please. OW! Arthur stop please! You're hurting me! Arthur!"

Arthur was choking on air. The monster was screaming at him, screaming his name, over and over, loudly and angrily.

"Leave him alone!" Saria cried.

Suddenly, Arthur _was_ alone. The forest was empty. And then it was gone, he was alone in blackness. "W-" he spun around.

He saw mirrors. He was surrounded by mirrors, tall ones lined up next to each other to form a reflective cage. He stared at his reflection and it smiled at him. He moved to make sure that was indeed him and watched it imitate him. That couldn't be him. There was something wrong.

He, for some reason, became frightened and threw his fist at the mirror, breaking it. But there were at least 7 more to go, seven more monsters to kill. So he did. He threw his hand through each mirror until it was nothing more than a bloody stub. He had no more fingers, he could see bone poking through. And when all the mirrors were shattered, he slipped on his own ripped flesh and fell onto the glass.

He wailed out in pain, crying and writhing on the ground.

The glass was eating him alive, digging into his body and lodging itself into his veins and muscles. It had no intention of leaving, he knew that. It would stay there, forever. He brought his fingers to his flesh to dig the pieces out, knowing the shards would kill him otherwise. But he couldn't, he couldn't get through his skin with just his fingers, especially since one hand had none left. So he took his dagger and prepared to butcher himself, placing the blade on his arm, where the nearest shard was. He began slicing his skin open. It didn't hurt that bad, not really. Besides, he had to do it. He couldn't just leave the shards there.

He dug his fingers into a gash the length of a pencil felt around his bumpy, stringy flesh for the shard. He couldn't find it. And he had already dug so deep, he already moved past his humerus. So he moved on to his belly. That's where the biggest one was anyway.

"Arthur, stop it!"

Saria was pulling the knife away from him. He pulled it back. "I got it, I got it," he told her calmly. "Just give me a sec."

"You're killing yourself!"

"I'm fine," he muttered, focused on finding the perfect spot on his belly to break his skin open. "Just gotta get this out first."

She disappeared and he resumed, first sinking the knife in about an inch, then turning it to slice himself up.

And then, before he was able to finish, he was back in the forest. He was confused for a second, trying to remember where and who he was, then collapsed to the floor once the pain set in. He began to stain the grass with his blood. Saria was on the ground less than five feet from him, the monster on top of her.

She stared up at it with horrified eyes. It licked her ears and her face and settled itself on top of her. It was adjusting her clothing. She froze.

* * *

><p>Saria found herself sitting on a bed, in a room she didn't recognize. The space was dimly lit with a few candles and a lantern hung on the wall.<p>

A shirtless young man was in the room with her, fiddling with something on the dresser. It was Link.

"Link," she said. "Where are we?"

He looked at her in the mirror and smiled. "I'm not the person to ask."

_What?_

She shifted her weight on the bed and heard the loud creak in the flooring. She was very confused. She couldn't remember anything.

He turned to her. She looked down at his chest and saw a long scar on his right pec. She didn't recognize it. But, then again, she didn't recognize a lot of him. She didn't know he was that strong underneath his clothing, that defined. It made sense, considering he was stronger now and had obviously grown. Still, the shapes and lines of his body were jarring to her, even in the low candle light. _Especially_ in the candle light, with the orange glow diving in-between the crevasses and highlighting the peaks. She could see the V-shaped bones of his pelvis dipping down and disappearing under his pants, which hung low on his hips. "You look nervous," he said.

"I'm confused. Where's Arthur?"

"He's waiting." He was standing in front of her now, subtle cracking his knuckles individually with his thumb. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I thought something was wrong...I thought we were in trouble...But I guess we're not."

"No," he said, chuckling softly. "We're not. It's okay, we're safe here."

"That's good."

"Yeah it is." He bent down low to meet her eye line; he was a tall man. She leaned back slightly. She half believed that the heat she was feeling was not from the candles around her, but from his skin. He stared at her for a long moment, the fire muddling the blue in his eyes, then said, "Open your mouth."

"What?"

"Open your mouth."

She obeyed him and opened her mouth, her lips trembling. Seconds later she was gagging, chocking on something and soon that something melted into water and she was drowning.

Her head was underwater, someone was holding it there, under the surface of a freezing pond. She was brought up by her hair, gasping.

"W-" she gasped.

She heard Link and Arthur laughing before they shoved her head back under.

She screamed, bubbles swarming around her and popping silently on the surface. She had no faith in them; they were going to drown her.

And then, she was staring at a thirty year old woman, dry. Music was playing softly in the background.

"So," the woman began, waving her champagne class loosely in the air. "Saria. What do you do now?"

"Well, I'm married," she answered impulsively with a casual tone. She furrowed her brow. _I am?_

Arthur appeared from the side, as if from nowhere, and kissed her on the side of her head. He was dressed up in a nice suit. And he was older. He had a nicely trimmed goatee surrounding his mouth. She barely recognized him. Even his eyes were different. They were light brown; they were dull. Not golden at all. "Talking about me?" he chirped. "I knew it."

The woman, who was also joined by her husband, giggled. "This must be your husband."

Arthur raised his glass. "The one and only...I hope."

The couple laughed again, louder and longer than the joke deserved.

"Mind if I steal her away for a minute?" Arthur asked them.

Seconds later the two of them were somehow alone while standing in a ballroom full of strangers. "Can we leave soon, sweetheart? This crowd is sucking the life outta me. You know, the few years I have left," he cracked a bittersweet smile as if that was disturbingly sincere.

She couldn't focus. "Arthur-"

He lifted his champagne glass and threw the tiny amount of liquid into her face.

She gasped and brought her fingers to her face, wiping the sticky liquid out of her eyes. "Why did you-" He shoved her backwards, hard.

She slammed back into another body, a hard one. It was Link. He laughed and shoved her back to Arthur.

The two of them began to play a game, throwing her back and forth between them.

"Guys stop it!" she wailed, feeling her brain hit the walls of her skull. "It hurts, stop!"

"Fine," Link stepped back as she returned to him, letting her fall to the ground. She opened her eyes to the night sky. She was back, lying down on the forest floor. Link had dragged the monster away from her. There was an aching pain between her legs, she knew she was bleeding. She could feel it.

* * *

><p>"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Link growled as he wrestled with his monster, it's deformed, awkward body jerking underneath him.<p>

"I'm trying to help!" it cried.

"Help?!" He stood up and drew his new sword as his monster scrambled away. "How can you be helping?!"

"Oh," it cooed. "How can I get you to understand?" It stood up and put its hands on its head. "How can I get you to understand?! Oh, it's so hard! You don't get it!"

Link approached it. "Get what?"

"I have to do this to you! I have to! He knows, Link!"

He flinched. His monster never said his name before.

"He'll use it so I have to do this!"

"W-Are you talking about Sinal?"

His monster cried and threw his head around. "I saw it! No one believes me but I did." It spun off in more random voices and clauses.

Link frowned. Whatever communication they were able to hold was gone. And seconds later, so was the monster. He didn't bother looking around, he knew it was far away by then.

"Link," Saria croaked after a good 10 seconds of silence.

He fell to her side. "Saria," he breathed. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, this is my fault."

"I'm bleeding," she whimpered.

He looked her over. She wasn't, as far as he could see. He helped her sit up. "Where?"

"In between my legs. It..."

He swallowed. "Are you sure?"

"I'm bleeding, I can feel it."

"Shhh," he said, his voice shaking. It didn't. He would've seen it, he would've noticed. He was in a daze, but he would've came out of it for that, to save her, to pull it off of her. Or at least he hoped he would've. He couldn't have missed that. He'd never forgive himself. "No you're not, Saria. It's okay. It didn't hurt you. It just made you think it did."

"But I'm bleeding!" Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "In between my legs! I can feel it," she put her shaking hands on her thighs but quickly snatched them away. "I can feel the blood!"

Link couldn't stand the sound of her voice, not like this. So he took the low, loose fabric of her dress and tucked it in-between her thighs. He put his hand over the fabric and pressed it there against her groin, trying to hold himself still. He closed his eyes and prayed to Hylia that the fabric would come back clean. _Please don't be red._

It wasn't. He smiled weakly and showed her the unstained fabric. "Saria, look, no blood. You're not bleeding."

Arthur coughed in the background and raised a hand in the air. "I'm bleeding."

"Shit," Link muttered as he approached him. Arthur's arm was torn open and a small patch of blood was seeping through his shirt over his belly. "Did it do that to you?"

"No," Saria answered as she stood up. Her eyes were dry. Link watched her, amazed at her metal recovery, as she walked over to Arthur and bent down over him. "He did it to himself. I tried to stop him. Go into the horse's satchel and get me gauss."

Link obeyed quickly. His hands were still shaking.

The two of them sat there for a few long, silent moments, looming over the vagabond's body, who refused to stop muttering complaints under his breath. Link looked away as she begun to stitch him up, not wanting to see the needle dive in and out. He thought of the burn of string passing through muscle and skin.

After the air had stilled, he asked Arthur if he was okay.

"I'm fine," Arthur breathed. "Always...My arm hurts though. So does my head."

Link looked to Saria and asked the same question.

"I'll be okay."

He shouldn't bring it up, he knew that, but he wanted to make sure she really was okay. "Why did you think it-"

"I don't know," she said. He was glad she interrupted him, he didn't want to say it out loud. "I just did. I thought I saw it-...it doesn't matter I guess."

"It couldn't have, Saria. It was only near you for a minute."

"Oh," she breathed. "It felt longer than that."

He felt better after he said that, after she heard it, like he had convinced her she was alright and nothing had happened.

Arthur took a deep breath and smiled up at Link. He lifted his hand and clumsily touched Link's face, loosely patting it. "Good to see you."

He smirked and wiped Arthur's blood off his cheek. "You too."

* * *

><p>Arthur refused to put his shirt back on, claiming the fabric was uncomfortable against his new wounds, and stretched out on the ground beside the fire, flaunting his lean, toned body. The 6'3'' giant seemed overstretched vertically, with long appendages, including his neck and even the locks of hair that stood up on top of his bed-head.<p>

Saria watched him coax the edges of his bandages, threatening peel them thing off, with incredible irritation.

He stopped and writhed his body in one slithery motion, as if to rid himself of the urge. He rolled to the side, grabbed his dagger and fell back on his back, holding the blade up over his eyes. He lifted a finger and began to scratch off the dried blood, his dried blood.

Watching the hyper-active vagabond, Link realized Arthur was making him nervous; the grip on the dagger was loose and he didn't seem to care that the blade was directly over his eyes. Arthur stopped scratching and after a moment Link realized he was staring at himself, at the reflection of his eyes in the metal with insane concentration.

Link wanted to take the knife away and hide it, hide it for a while, until he saw fit to give it back. He looked over to Saria, who was also eyeing Arthur, and guessed with a good amount of certainty that she was thinking the same thing. Maybe, even, on a more complex or in-depth level. She was a medic, after all, and perhaps she saw more to the tiny scars and slits that appeared on Arthur's body than he did.

After an extended silence, Arthur sighed and rested the blade against his chest. "Can I say something?"

If Link and Saria were dogs, their ears would've perked up. They even went as far as tilting their heads in interest. It wasn't odd for Arthur to break silence, but it was odd for him to ask permission, and following such an odd reunion, whatever this 'something' was would be the first thing said in the context of conversation and nothing else. Whatever Arthur had to say, it would be jarring.

"We all smell terrible," he said.

Saria smothered a chuckle, as if she was in the audience of a lecture and it would be inappropriate to laugh.

It was true, each of them reeked with the stench of old, mildewed clothing, sweat and dried blood. Upon realizing this, they all relaxed, Link even managing to smirk, and began to playfully bicker about who smelled the worst.

Arthur blamed Link, saying it must be him since he worked the most and had traveled more. Link countered that with saying Arthur drank and ate more and did a horrible job of cleaning himself up.

Saria, remembering her bath, claimed it couldn't be her before anyone could accuse her and added on that men tended to smell worse to begin with.

The three of them abandoned the fire to find water and were extremely successful, as if the gods agreed that they did need a bath and went out of their way to present them with a gorgeous, moonlight lake.

They stripped down to their under garments without hesitation, even the shy medic, and dove in.

During their brisk nighttime swim the three managed to admit to each other that they wish they never separated and even, by lead of Arthur and followed lastly and reluctantly by Link, confessed that they felt a strong sense of dependence and affection for each other. They all danced around the word 'love' by either replacing it or applying it to a certain situation or quality rather than the other person. They all knew it, knew they loved each other in a very specific way. The way only tragedy and circumstance could muster.

It was a nice end to a horrible night. It was a shame that the medic couldn't fully enjoy it.

Something was still squatting in Saria's mind, refusing to move until dealt with. She didn't know what it was, but it was there and it was important and it would ruin the night if she mentioned it. Every time she managed to laugh or smile, it would remind her of itself and she would become saddened for a brief moment. But she dismissed the sadness as abruptly as it came and kept quiet. She didn't even know what was bothering, what this feeling was, so she ignored it and tried to focus on her companions.

Link did indeed have a long scar on his right pec.


	59. Chapter 59: Cannibal

_This isn't written as well as you guys are used to. _

_I'm officially changing the rating. Warning, disturbing content. Reader discretion is advised. Seriously. If you guys in your honest opinion think this is too much, let me know. _

_Chapter 59: Cannibal_

Sinal caught me. I can't-I mean I thought I was far enough away. Maybe I should have stayed with the hero. I should have begged him. Should have followed him around so he could at least attempt to protect me. Not that he would want to, but he certainly wouldn't take Sinal's side. That has to be worth something.

I should have kept moving. Staying the night in that village was so fucking stupid; of course they would find me. They're everywhere now. Things are getting worse. Now it's not just dark souls, it's human psychos too. He's recruiting serial killers. I mean, I get it. Dark souls are too weak now. They're just animals that people can slaughter. But intelligent serial killers-god, Sinal's smart. He's infiltrating now. Getting normal-looking people to walk around, working for him. And the worse thing is he's making more of them. He's no longer turning people into dark monsters that might as well be wearing a sign that says "Hey turn around I'm fucking evil" no, he's taking NORMAL people, sane people, and turning them into PSYCHOPATHS. And they just walk around like they're a normal person and then they rip your face off or some shit or worse: they take you back to Sinal.

That's what happened to me. A cannibal in the village I was staying the night in found me. Obviously I didn't know he was a cannibal until later.

That guy was creepy. I mean not as bad as Sinal, but pretty close. He stared at me for like 4 minutes without blinking-I swear to god. Besides Sinal, I've never met a cannibal before.

I never should have betrayed Sinal in the first place. That was my real mistake. I should have just stayed with him, I should have listened to him, should have killed the hero when I had the chance. I mean, it wasn't that bad. At least I was...I don't know. I can't win either way really. If I had stayed with him, I would've been his little slave that he tortures and I would have had a shit life. But at least I'd be alive. At least before I could suck up to him, do what he said, and maybe make it by as his 'employe'. But now he's pissed at me and I'm a prisoner, a prisoner who betrayed him, tried to kill him, tried to run away. He'll tear me apart. I can't-...I can't do this anymore. I don't want him to make me want to die. Fuck that. I want to live. I want to live I do, but it's really fucking hard to want that. I'm trying my best. But he's gonna hurt me so bad. It's gonna hurt. I don't want to be here. I would rather be dead.

I think...I think you're the most scared when you know there's nothing you can do. Really nothing you can do. He's gonna cut me up and there's nothing I can do. I'm tied up and locked in. And I see no way out. I'm stuck.

"Good evening."

It's the cannibal. He sits in a chair outside my cell.

"What do you want?"

"Sinal sent me."

"Asshole can't torture me himself?"

"Recently he discovered who the three sages are. He's busy tracking them down. Too busy for you. He may be a monster but he has his priorities."

I pause. "Really? He found out the big three? The identities of the three major sages?"

"Yes."

"Good for him."

"Yes. It is good for him. That opens a lot of doors. And also closes some."

"You're trying to sound intelligent but it's not working."

"You're trying to sound calm but it's not working."

"I am calm."

"You are not afraid that I'll eat you?"

His word choice is jarring. "No."

"That's impressive."

"I'm not afraid to die."

He holds up a finger. His nail is yellow and jagged. "Ah ah ah, I never said I was going to kill you. I'm going to eat you. There's a difference."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's who I am. I crave-"

"No. I mean why are you working for Sinal?"

"He understands me. And I understand what he's trying to do."

"And what is that?"

"He's purifying humanity."

I scoff. "Of what? Life?"

"No, of dirty, bloody things. Violence, sex, insanity."

"He's causing insanity and violence. I'm not sure about sex but-"

"No, no, no. Don't you see? He's curing us of all those things because if everyone's insane, no one is."

"W-"

"I thought you would understand. Being insane is nice."

"No it isn't. It's chaos. It's pain."

"Not always. I believe it's like being asleep. If Sinal tortures you to the point where you can't feel pain, then you can't be tortured anymore. You're numb. He's doing everyone a favor. Everything's chaos. No one's in pain because no one understands pain. I think it's better for everything to go wrong instead of desperately trying to keep things together. Because at least there's nothing we can do. We can just sit back and be insane and live and die and not care about being right or wrong or making money or living a full life or falling in love or raising kids or staying healthy or being afraid of death or being afraid of each other or being afraid of the dark because if everything is bad then we don't even know it's bad and it will all be over and we will all not understand and we will all be numb and we will all be dead."

"...Did Sinal tell you that?"

"More or less."

"He's lying. And besides, even if he wasn't, that literally 'perfect scenario' he proposes is fucked up. People aren't supposed to live that way. We might as well not exist."

"Exactly. Why be intelligent and present when we can just fade away?"

"Agree to disagree I suppose. But I must ask, how is Sinal creating this so called 'peace' if he's torturing people's mind to the point where they are in so much pain they become evil? Why not just make them insane? Make them live in their own mind? Why make them violent? Why make them monsters, if he does believe in what he told you?"

The cannibal leans back and strokes his chin. "You bring up an interesting point. But I don't think the violence is on Sinal. It takes a strong soul to be tortured and not become evil."

"Yes, I suppose it does."

"Do you believe you are one of these souls?"

"Now I do. I didn't used to. I liked killing people. It felt good. Made me think I was in less pain. Like I was less afraid. It's probably the same feeling you get from eating people."

"Perhaps. But I was never tortured. I was never in pain. I was never afraid. I had a great life."

"Really? No bad childhood? No abusive father or graphic experience?"

"No. I liked a girl when I was 22 and she didn't feel the same way. So I stabbed her and ate her. She was beautiful."

"Ever eat men?"

"No. I don't think men would taste as good. Woman are fatty, smoother, sweeter. Men are too tough. And such a pain to cut through."

"What does it taste like?"

"Human flesh? I'll let you try a piece of your own."

I shift in my skin. "You know, you don't have to do this. You don't have to cut me up and eat me. It'll hurt me. And it won't make you feel better. It you let me go, you'll feel good. It's the right thing to do. And it feels good, doing the right thing."

He stands up. "But don't you see? I don't feel bad or good." He opens my cell door. "I'm numb."

"Please don't. Don't. Please. Don't! HELP! HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE! LINK!"

* * *

><p>Link dreamed that Sinal was standing over him as he slept.<p>

* * *

><p>Saria sat up with a gasp. "<em>NAOKI!<em>"

Link and Arthur jolted awake. It was the middle of the night. They asked her what was wrong.

"Sinal's here. In this forest," she said with a trembling voice.

Link and Arthur shared a look.

"He's after the sage. The forest sage. He knows. He's in Naoki."

This was all too familiar. "We have to move. Now."

So they bolted in the direction of the small village. Maybe, just maybe, they weren't too late.

The day started early, around 2:00 o'clock...And it was raining.

* * *

><p><strong>Here's some things you guys should know. Please read this. It is an important explanation to the previous chapter. I want you guys to understand what you were going for.<strong>

**Basically the horrible scenes were supposed to point out a few things**

**1). Arthur's possible descend into insanity. Arthur, although not extreme, has a mild case of mono-phobia and avoidant-personality disorder (don't confuse this with 'anti-social, which are your socio and phyco paths). It used to be just a little bug with him, but after encountering Sinal, it becomes more evident in his character. He's insecure and cares deeply about the people around him and is worried they'll leave him. He believes he is incompetent in many ways and can never be in a real relationship. BUT he's also monophobic, which means he's afraid to be alone, both in a literal and figurative sense. So his 'vagabond' title is more complex than people might think. He's a vagabond because he doesn't want to be alone, so he goes around meeting new people and getting company for himself, but he keeps moving because he's afraid to make any real connections. Link's monster is a mysterious Sinal counterpart, it has similar abilities as Sinal, but seems to have different motives. It took that part of Arthur and drove him to a moment of mental insanity and a point of self harm, which is addressed later in the story when Lily teases him about trying to find a sense of control in the chaos of his world (being a vagabond was his way of trying to escape the mundaneness and emptiness of the world) and even points out that the only way for Arthur to truly escape the influence of his world would be to kill himself. **

**2). Saria's insecurity and fear of being useless, average and r***. Now you might think that Saria's close call in chpt 4o was just that, a close call. Nothing happened, so why is it affecting her to this degree? The point of ATL is to point out mental illness and insanity. She feels threatened by her world now and her own sexuality and instead of accepting something normal (her having a little crush on Link and Arthur) she sees it as a negative thing. So that scene with Link was supposed to be uncomfortable and strange, she no longer sees him as her childhood friend or even a hero. She sees him as a man. And this also speaks to Link's character as well. Saria seems to posses this ability to sense when things will happen, although very vague and faint. Link, after his encounter with Sinal, becomes very aggressive and begins to 'loose his grip'. That slightly sexual scene between her and Link was supposed to point out both her fear of sex (and possible sexism, challenging her role as the only woman in the group, which, lets face it at that time period is a bigger deal) and Link's future change in character. Saria's fear of r*** and being mistreated as a woman in general, although very slight, is exaggerated by the monster. It saw that little fear in her and turned it into a nightmare. In terms of what happened with her and Arthur, that was supposed to point out her fear of becoming a housewife, a fear I relate to. This fear is what encouraged her to go with Link in the first place, to change her life. Notice how when the woman asked 'what do you do?' referring to a career, she replied with 'I'm married'. Also, she starts to see the affects of a normal, mundane life on Arthur, who took the role of her husband. His eyes were dull and he hints towards being terminallly ill (its subtle)**

**3). It's supposed to point out the power of Sinal's kind. The monster was with Arthur and Saria for less than a minute but had great affects. It also supposed to point out the fragile minds of the characters and how slowly, they are all starting to loose it.**

**yeah so. fun story huh?**

**Love you. Thank you. R n R and see you guys next time. Bo comes back, Lily comes in, Sinal has an AWESOME scene with Link, so stayed tuned (;**


	60. Chapter 60: Link's Mother

Warning, one of my favs!

**Just to clarify, this happens after chapter 59, towards the very end when Saria woke up. the girl speaking was Her and that took place in Sinal's prison. It was a break in the narrative, that thing with the girl and the cannibal was happening around the same time Saria woke up and told Link and Arthur Sinal was in the forest. The 3 ran off to save the village but were too late. The attack happened while they were swimming.**

Chapter 60: Link's Mother

The first thing the three travelers noticed was not the tattered flag or the burned down houses or the blood and ash covered ground. It was not the stillness of the air or the eerie howl of the wind or the words smeared on the surviving structures with blood. No. The first thing they noticed was the pile of bodies, the pile that Sinal stacked neatly in the center of the village.

It was ugly, it was the color of dirty flesh, and it was at least 8 feet tall.

The sight was sickening.

The three travelers arrived on the scene too late; the village was silent and it was dead. Link, Saria and Arthur stared at the pile of bodies in silence for a long while, not even the swish of a shifting pant leg emitted between the three. The pile was topped with a body shoved downwards vertically, its legs sprawled outwards in a V shape. It was a garnish, a decoration, the whipped topping on a tall desert plate. Sinal was signing his work and could just as easily be saying 'hello' as he was 'fuck you'.

"He knew we would come here," Link muttered as he looked around, reading the words sloppily painted around him. They were derogatory things like 'Ha ha', 'good luck!', and 'Sorry'. "Split up," he commanded, calmly and cooly. "Search for survivors."

As Link strolled around the village, scuffing the ground and kicking the ash up with his boots, the air seemed strange. He didn't belong there, nothing did. It was as if he was walking inside an oil painting.

He heard a soft whimpering and followed the sound, ready to find a poor survivor hungry for his strong, helping hand. It seemed odd to him, that he was calm enough, okay enough with the situation, that he could feel satisfaction from that fact. He thought, given his past, he wouldn't be able to handle this tragedy. But he seemed just fine.

Soon he came across an older woman weeping against a shed, her face buried in her arms.

"Are you alright?"

She didn't respond. She wasn't bleeding and as far as he could tell, she wasn't in physical pain. He bent down to her level and gingerly put a hand on her shoulder. Usually he didn't go out of his way to touch someone, but for some reason, with this woman, it felt normal. Maybe even right, if he would go so far.

"It's okay. My name's Link. My companions and I are here to help."

She stop whimpering and froze. "Link?" she asked in a softly.

He paused at the sound of her voice. It was cruelly familiar. "Y-yeah."

She looked up. The woman was in her fifties. She had these wonderful, tired, sweet grey-blue eyes.

He nearly choked. He had to be dreaming, but for some reason, he let himself believe this was real and his mother was alive, looking at him with an expression that was somehow both petrified and delighted. Her head was the shape of a heart; he never forgot that. She even had a widows peak that carved out the arcs near her forehead.

"Link?!" She leapt up and hugged him. "Link! Oh my gods!" She started to bawl. "You're alive!"

He didn't answer. His heart was racing so fast and beating so hard it was the only thing he could feel or focus on. He was surprised his mother didn't mention or even notice it, considering she was embracing him so tight. She held him there for a good 40 seconds, kissing him frantically on the side of his head. "I thought I lost you, baby." Her voice and chest were quivering.

She pulled away, tears running down her cheeks, and gave a weak chuckle of disbelief. "You look just like your father."

She took his face in her hands. He, for the first time in a long time, didn't flinch as hands came towards him. "Speak to me. Say something, please. Let me know I'm not delusional, and you're actually here. Please."

"I thought you were dead." He couldn't think of anything else to say; that was the most pressing thought. She was dead.

"No, I'm alive. I survived, and so did you!"

"You-" a thought crossed his mind but disappeared as quickly as it came. He desperately tried to get it back. It was a question, an important one he had for his mother and the question was full of spite. He couldn't think of it. "You-you-survived," he said slowly. "How did you-? Why-?"

"Please, give me a moment. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack. I got my son back!"

He bent down to comfort her. When she looked at him, he felt sick to his stomach. "Are you okay? Did Sinal hurt you?"

"Sinal? Who's Sinal?"

"Never mind. Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm okay. What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"Good," she said through a wide grin.

He helped her up. "So, uh," he couldn't think straight. He should be asking why she was there, how she survived, what happened to Naoki, and that other question that was rattling around in his mind. He held out an elbow for her to rest on as they walked away, their destination unknown. "I look like my father?"

"Yes, you do. You grew up so handsome! You're just beautiful."

He smiled and glanced down. The two of them began to take a stroll, stepping over bodies and kicking up ash, breathing in the smokey autumn air.

* * *

><p>It was uncanny how the two not only spoke of frivolous details and shallow comments, but how it seemed to be the only subject matter the two were aware of. They spoke to each other about their careers, the weather, their friends, and even the more meaningful comments about their affection for each other or the tragedy of their separation barely skimmed the surface of what needed to be discussed, what needed to be asked. Neither of them seemed to mind.<p>

"I've missed you."

"So have I." He himself was amazed he didn't have more to say, when in reality he had tons to say, horrible, sad things, but simply couldn't remember or even grasp the words.

"What have you been doing lately?"

"Um..traveling." Again, it was all he could think of.

"With Saria and Arthur?"

"Yeah."

"That must be nice. From what you've told me, they seem great"-it was easier to say positive things about his friends rather than explain the bad-"And you and Saria were so close when you were younger." She suddenly began to giggle. "Do you remember when you two used to steal bread to feed the deer? And that one time that buck started chasing you?"

"Why are you laughing? That sounds awful."

"I know," she whimpered through her breathless cackle. "And at the time it wasn't funny at all, and I feel bad about laughing but for some reason looking back it seems hilarious!"

He laughed, the sound seeming foreign to him, and looked away for two seconds. He looked away for _two_ seconds. And, after these two seconds, after he looked back and saw his mother suddenly burned and covered with blood, he believed for a moment that if he had kept his eyes on his mother, held that uncomfortable eye contact that carried far too much weight for him to handle, she would have stayed the same. But instead she turned into a corpse, one he recognized.

And then he blinked. And it was no longer his mother. It was Sinal. "Oh," he sighed long and soft with the perfect pitch to be condescending. He smiled a dumb, closed-mouth smile and tilted his head. "That's a shame."

And then Link woke up. His was mortified. "W-?!"

"Easy," Arthur, who was crouched down in front of him, lifted a hand as if to calm him. That only frightened the hero more. To him, the vagabond's hand seemed close, so close his long fingers would pierce his eyes. He screamed and scrambled backwards, the ash both clinging to his clothes and flying up in a fine dust.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Arthur barked.

"W-?" Link's back hit something soft. He turned his head to see the dull flesh of a dead body. He screamed again and scrambled in the opposite direction. The pile shifted slightly and an arm fell out to the side, its fingers curled lifelessly. Link looked at the pile, at the hand, then to Saria and Arthur, who stood there dumbfounded. "What happened?!"

"Link," Saria said. "Calm down. It's alright."

"What happened?"

"You fainted the second we got here," Arthur said as he approached him and offered a hand to help him up.

Link allowed his eyes to flicker frantically around the scene. He then weakly stood up, ignoring Arthur's offer to help.

"Are there any survivors?" he breathed.

Saria approached him and gingerly held out her hands as if to prepare to catch him or support his weight, as if she were strong enough to do so. "No. None."

"Not here, anyway," Arthur added, putting his hands in his pockets and shrugging his shoulders forward.

"You think people escaped?" Link asked.

"That and all the bodies are men."

"W-Really?"

"Yeah," Saria sighed. "There are no women here."

"Wait," Link began, pointing a finger at her. "Any chance Sinal knew the sage was a woman?"

Saria nodded with wide eyes and went to the luggage strapped to the horses. She returned to Link and Arthur's side with The Legend. "We should really look at this more than we do," she commented as she pried open the book and begun to search through the page numbers.

"If that thing mentioned 'Sinal' or 'dark souls' I'd be more inclined to believe you," Link muttered.

"Here it is," she said, pointing to a page with a tiny ink drawing of a forest on it. Link stared at the picture, pretending to instead be reading the words around it. "It's says something about a 'mistress of courage' who is connected to the forest...the forest of birth and kindness."

Arthur begun to loudly clap his hands together. "Oh, great job, writers!" he sarcastically applauded.

"He has a point," Link muttered to Saria, who had rolled her eyes at the vagabond's outburst. "Writers basically spelled it out for Sinal."

"You've learned a lot from the legend too. Whole thing's a give and take, I suppose."

"Wish there was no exchange in the first place."

"Me too."

Link looked at the pile, felt the rain on his skin and through his eyes, and felt his vision blur. He was no longer in the village but in a grey room with no windows.

"Link?"

He closed his eyes tight. "Think we get out of here? It's obvious Sinal took all the women somewhere. He knew it was a woman from Naoki but he doesn't know who. He's trying to figure it out. That should buy us some time."

"Yeah but where did he take them?"

"That prison in the mountains maybe?"

"UGH!" Arthur groaned. "We were just there! I don't wanna go back to the fucking mountains!"

"Think I want to? And shut up. If it means saving these women we're going asshole. Try to be more sensitive."

"Excuse me for not wanting to return to the place where that bitch forced you to drown yourself and Sinal loosened a screw in my head."

"...Wait, what about Sinal?"

"Oh, yeah, he showed up 2 seconds after you left and took a real interest in your little medical assistant there. You don't know that cuz you weren't there. You skipped out on us."

"I didn't-we are not having this argument again."

"Oh, well in that case I'll shut the hell up. So sorry, hero."

"Don't calm me that."

"What, you prefer messiah?"

"Me leaving was not a bad thing. I was trying to help you."

"Well you were wrong."

"Is this what you wanted?" Link demanded, holding his hands up. "All this death and destruction? Are you fucking insane?! Why were you so desperate to be a part of this? "

Arthur shifted and ran a hand through his hair, dipping his head down. "You don't get it."

"Explain it to me. Please. Is it because I wasn't there when Sinal did that to you? Do you think I could've stopped him?"

"No. That's not it. I was upset before. What was I supposed to do once-...? I was..."

"What?"

"..."

"Arthur please, tell me what's wrong. Something's wrong. What did Sinal do to you?"

"No! This is before that happened."

"What's are you talking about?!" Link demanded.

"Link," Saria stepped in-between them. "Calm down."

"He's not making any sense!"

"Well screaming at him isn't helping! We split up and but now we're together again, okay? That's all that matters, right?" she looked at Arthur. "Right?"

The boys both nodded.

"Okay. So drop it. People died here. There are bigger problems out there. This whole thing is bigger than us."

After the air stilled she sighed and looked at the pile. "It feels wrong to leave the bodies like this. Maybe we should bury them."

"No. That will take all day."

"What if this was your village, Link? And the bodies of your-..."

He narrowed his eyes. "Go on. Finish that sentence."

"I'm just saying you of all people should understand."

"I do understand. But I thought this was bigger than us. Sinal is probably torturing these woman as we spe-" he froze. He saw something small in the near distance. A toy.

"What is it? Link?"

He was already walking away, an intense focus in his eyes. He bent down and picked it up. It was a small plush horse, covered with ash.

Saria and Arthur joined his side. "What is that?"

_If you feel…like something's wrong with your village or if you every see…a monster. I want you to run away, okay? Run away and hide._

_Okay. Will you come find me?_

"Bo."

"Who?"

Link stood up and bolted into the forest.

"Wait Link!" Arthur called.

* * *

><p>Link barreled through the forest, ignoring his companions calls for him. There was little chance she survived, or even remembered, but he had to look for her.<p>

_Like in the cliff side?_

_Yes, in the cliff side. It will be your safe place from now on, okay?_

When he reached the cliffside, he heard crying and he could have sworn his heart stopped. He dove to his knees and peered in. The young girl was inside. She looked at him with red, traumatized eyes. She wasn't crying anymore.

"BO!" Link cried. "Come here! It's me! It's okay. The monsters are gone. It's okay."

She let herself cry again, a sincere, deep weeping, and crawled out into his arms. He picked her up and held her for a moment.

"Oh my gods you remembered," he whispered. "I can't believe it. You remembered."

"I want my mommy!" she blubbered. Tears and snot streamed down her red face.

"Shhh," he bounced her in his arms. "It's okay. Don't-"

She began to scream. Loud and high. Right in his ear. It was as if she had seen a monster or had a nightmare and screamed out once, loud and sharp, and that one moment of terror repeated itself over and over again, extending over a period of time that seemed endless. Her voice would break soon.

"Stop screaming."

She kept screaming. Children were not meant to scream like this.

His vision began to blur. He could have sworn it was raining. He could barely see anymore. "Please, stop," he whispered.

"Link!" Saria and Arthur caught up to him, although he could barely see them. He could barely hear them.

"Take the kid," he breathed. "I'm gonna drop her." He couldn't even tell if he was holding her anymore. "Take..."

Arthur caught Link gently under the arms.

* * *

><p>"You know, I saw my mother. While I was out. She aged. She spoke to me like she would have. She acted like I remembered her. And I believed it, even though I knew it couldn't be true.<p>

I know my mother's dead because I saw her body. She told me not to turn back but I did and I stepped on her by accident.

I kept wanting to ask her something but I couldn't figure out what it was. Now I know I wanted to ask her why she didn't come for me. Why she left me with him and never came to take me away. But I didn't ask. Maybe because I knew the answer. She never came for me because she was dead.

It's like I forgot. Or I didn't forget and I just-...I mean I knew-...Sinal just really tricked me."

* * *

><p>Now I'm starting to get into my favorite parts of ATL. Shit goes down and it gets complicated so dont hesitate to ask questions. Love u guys.<p> 


	61. Chapter 61: I Want To Go Home

This chapter isn't written too well, but this is an important one.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 61:<strong>

**I Want To Go Home**

Link's been different lately. A jerk actually. I get it if he's mad about the situation, I mean, who wouldn't be? But he's acting like it's OUR fault, like me and Saria made all this happen.

He's been awful to Saria. He can't keep his head straight so she's trying to take care of things. But gods forgive the hero gives up a little authority. Bastard.

Actually, I guess he is a literal bastard. Saria told me about his mom and how she got murdered not too long ago. I feel bad, but I mean, there's no reason to yell at a girl like he does. And besides, it's Saria. She did nothing wrong. That girl has nothing but good intentions. Link, I'm not so sure anymore. Think he's a little lost.

I've been keeping my distance from him and when Saria needs me she knows I'm there, but for now I've been giving all my attention to Bo, playing games and keeping her company and all. I love that girl. Sweet as hell!

She's with me now. She rides with me on my horse. We're on our way to that prison up north, where we think Sinal took the women. Where we HOPE Sinal took the women. The horses are walking now, for the first time in like hours. The poor animals nearly gave out and Bo couldn't take it; this trails too rough. We had to beg Link to stop. But anyway, she's with me now, talking my ear off. Where does she get the energy?

"Ask me another!" she says.

"Uhhhh...what's your favorite color?"

"You asked that one already!"

"Oh right. Yellow. Um," I smile. "You got a boyfriend?"

She explodes in giggles. "_No!_"

"Why not?"

"I don't know! I don't want one!"

"Little miss independent okay. I gotcha."

"Did you ever have a girlfriend?"

Saria pulls up next to us. "Too many," she says.

I grin at her. "That depends on what qualifies as a girlfriend. If it's someone you see more than once, then I've only had 2."

She scoffs.

"Ah, you're just a jealous little virgin," I tease. She blushes. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. It's so easy to say the wrong thing sometimes, ya never know how someone takes it until it's too late. "Don't worry, sweetheart. With a face like yours you could beat my record easily."

"You think she's pretty?" Bo asks me.

"Course I do. Just like I think you're pretty."

Bo pouts. "Sally called me ugly cuz I have a fat face."

I look at Saria and give her a twisted expression. This kid's like what, 6?

"First of all," I tell Bo. "That's bullsh-that's not true. Second, don't listen to Sally. Sometimes the prettiest girls aren't the ones with the tiny waist and or the biggest chest, they're the ones that make you happy when you see 'em. And that can mean a lot of things."

Saria smiles at me.

"Okay!" Bo chirps. "Ask me another!"

Kids wearing me out, ME. "Uh, favorite animal?"

"Horse!"

"That's Link's favorite, I think." The jerk up ahead glances behind his shoulder at the sound of his name. Gods, if looks could kill. Thing is, I don't even think he really means it. He's got a permanent scowl on his face these days. "Know where we're going, hero?" I call up.

"Don't call me that," he says.

"We're fine," Saria whispers to me. "I'm pretty sure we're going the right way."

"And I'd hate to stir the pot," I mutter.

* * *

><p>Link stopped on top of a snow-covered hill and felt his stomach tighten. Besides the thoughts screaming in his head, it was quiet. A few moments after he had been staring ahead in muddled thought, he heard Bo whisper a question and Arthur muttering something in return. He bit down on his lip and tasted blood. <em>Were<em> they going the right direction? They had been traveling north for three days and their horses were now shin deep in snow, a mistake in direction would be fatal. Not for them, but for the women who were being interrogated by Sinal. He must have killed half of them by that point. Or worse. Link shuttered and pulled on Epona's reins for no reason but a jolt of frustration. This was his fault. They should had been there by now. They should had been there in the first place, back at Naoki. They were right there, in the same forest. What kind of hero was he? He hadn't even saved anyone. Zelda saved herself, Sinal did gods-know-what to Arthur, and now 15 women were missing, all because he was never in the right place at the right time and or the first time in this journey, he realized that he was a failure. He wasn't moving fast enough. He was taking his time, he was calling it a night too early, getting up too late, letting Saria and Arthur get in the way, being too relaxed. People were dying, how could he let that slip his mind? How could he not realize that he was the only one that could stop all this? How could he not realize that _he_ was _letting_ this happen? He should have been with Zelda, fighting Sinal, not fucking sight-seeing. And worse of all, even if he was in the right place at the right time, he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't take on Sinal. He wasn't ready, he wasn't strong enough. He should be, by this point, but he didn't feel like it, not at all. What else was there left to do? He had the sword, he completed the temples, was that really it? He felt, sure, a little stronger, but not that different. Not someone who could take on Sinal and win. In his mind, this was his fault and if he made the mistake of not going in the right direction, gods, that was such a stupid mistake to make. They would all be dead by the time they got there.

_FOOMPH. _Before he even realized what had hit him in the back of the neck, he felt the freezing snow melt and drip down his back. It was a snowball. He whipped around and saw Arthur and Bo giggling. He turned Epona and lunged towards them. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Their smiles slowly faded. "S-sorry," Arthur began. "The kid was getting upset."

"This isn't a joke Arthur! You need to stop fooling around and acting like everything is okay! I'm trying to get us to that fucking prison as fast as possible so stop wasting time and acting like a child! Cuz otherwise, we won't find the prison in time, and we won't save the woman, and they will all be _dead_," he pointed a finger at Bo. "_Including your mother_!"

His heart stopped. Everything stopped. Bo, along with everyone else, stared at him and her huge, doe-like eyes welled up with tears. She began to bawl. It was a horrible sound, loud and young and genuine.

Link impulsively tugged on the reins and backed up Epona an inch. He almost ran away.

"Link," Saria whispered. He didn't look at her, he wouldn't like what he'd see, a face of disappointment and disgust.

"Way to go asshole," Arthur muttered, bouncing Bo on his knee. "Shhhh, it's okay, sweetheart."

"I didn't mean to-..." he stumbled. He felt their eyes. "Oh come on, I didn't mean to make the kid cry!"

"Sure you didn't," the vagabond growled.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Arthur leaned over towards Saria's horse and gingerly handed Bo over. "Take the kid. It's alright, Bo. Don't you worry."

Saria sighed, rubbed her tired, kind eyes, and pulled her horse around, leading Bo away from the war zone.

Arthur got off his horse and gestured for Link to get of his as well. Link hesitated. He didn't want to get off his horse, his ticket out. He wanted to be able to run if he needed to. He was useless on the ground. But then Arthur snapped, "Get off your high horse!"

Link slid off then began, "Arthur, I didn't mean to-"

"Part of me thinks you did! Why are you so mad about her being a little happy?!... Listen, Link, I know this sucks but you have to take that part of yourself that's a total dick and hide it a small box," Arthur lifted his hands and theatrical boxed the air. "And then shove that box in a small, dark ass corner. For the sake of the kid."

"But what if her mother's already dead?"

"So what? We should just give up? Tell the kid to beat it? Hand her off to a stranger or-"

_An uncle?_

"-something?"

"Wouldn't this be worse?! To make the poor thing think there might be a chance her mother's still alive just to find her dead?! She's just a kid, Arthur!"

Arthur's shoulders fell and his face softened. He spoke his next words carefully. "Yeah, she's just a kid. We have to give her a chance, Link. We have to try. Right?"

Link brought his hands up to his eyes and held them there. "I don't know."

"You have to take it easy. We're going as fast as we can. You can't push the kid too hard. You can't push _yourself_ so hard."

He sighed and looked ahead, nothing but a lonely and unforgiving trail of snow and stone ahead of him. "Maybe we should split up."

"What?!"

"You and Saria should stay with Bo and meet me there. I'll go on ahead."

"And do what? Save all those women on your own? And you know Sinal's there, right? Waiting for you?"

"Well, maybe, I could-" it felt as if his brain had suddenly shut down. He had absolutely nothing to say, nothing to think. He began to hear his accelerated pulse in his ear and feel it throb against his ribs. He didn't like hearing Sinal's name out loud. He felt like Sinal was already there, with him, ready to strap him down and torture him, already prepared to take away his mind, take away everything; not that he had much to begin with. He knew he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for Sinal. He wasn't ready for anything and he couldn't save Bo's mother. And, at that moment, it all began to crash onto him, with Arthur standing there with his head tilted to the side, shin-deep in snow, and the weight on Link's shoulders was so heavy, it was breaking his back and crushing his soul and he felt like he was going to collapse dead right then and there. Sinal was waiting for him. Everyone was waiting for him. Waiting for him to do something. In his guilt ridden mind, he had been taking his time, but he _still_ wasn't ready for any of this. He wondered what he'd been doing all this time. What was he doing right now? What was he doing?!

Arthur frowned and held out a hand to steady his friend. "Link, I'm sorry. Calm down. It's alright."

Link fell to the snow, weeping into his hands. It was the first time he had cried, really cried, in years. He wanted his mother. He needed a mother. "I don't want to do this anymore," he whimpered, his voice wobbling. He took in a breath and all his dread and hopelessness that he had been ignoring and fending off for so long filled his lungs and came out in a loud cry. "_I WANT TO GO HOME!" _he wailed. "I don't want to do this anymore! I can't! I'm so tired! I don't know what to do!"

"I know. It's alright."

"No it's not!" He imagined if all of Hyrule could see him, if Zelda did; he would be humiliated. He was no hero. He tried to take a deep breath, but it came out broken and pathetic. He felt like nothing. He didn't even know who he was anymore. He focused on his breathing, which was choppy, almost rhythmic, and looked towards the snow. He wouldn't dare look at his friend, who was kneeled beside him.

"Maybe we should set up camp, Link, so you can rest and take some time to-"

"No," he sighed. "We can't do that. We have to go. We have to go to that prison. We have to."

"Link, you're in no condition to take on Sinal."

"I KNOW!" Link snapped loud and quick. Arthur flinched. "I know! But what am I supposed to do?! I don't know what to do!" he inhaled sharply then cried, "_I'm just a kid_!" He uselessly tried to wipe his tears away and at that moment, he was a child. He took another big, broken breath. "I'm just a kid. I'm not a hero. I don't think I can do this."

Arthur stared at Link for a long time then said, "Link, I've made a lot of mistakes in the past, I still am I guess. I never got over things. And I was unhappy for a long time. I thought I was enjoying life, traveling around and all, meeting people, having fun, but really I had nothing and no one. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. I felt like I wasn't even alive. And I started to think to myself, what's the point, then? Why am I even trying?...I was close, you know? And then you came along, just in time it seemed. And I knew I had to go with you. And I knew I had to stay...Link, you may not have saved Hyrule yet, you might not be able to save it at all, but you saved me, and in my eyes, you are a hero. I have no idea what we should do or what's gonna happen next, but we have to stick together, no matter what."

Link blinked. Apparently he was in the right place at the right time. He just didn't know it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yeah Idk about you guys but i bawled my eyes out writing this one. Maybe i was overtired cuz it was at 12 am. I'm worried this is a little too much emotion this early, I feel like this would be later in part three, since Arthur's confession is a big deal. But this is my experiment i guess, so lmk what you guys <strong>_**_think. And am i the only one who cried?_**

**_And ik it was poorly written, sorry about that._**

**_IMPORTANT:_**

**_if you guys really want to read the original version, which, in my opinion is better so far and a pretty different story, then let me know and I can share the doc with you on google docs. I had to take it offline for publishing reasons, but i would love some readers and feedback. This is only if you're DYING to read it, of course, otherwise no worries!_**

**_Love you guys!_**


End file.
